J & J
by Them Memories
Summary: He fell for his assignment and she gets a taste of what it means to be normal only to have reality check back in. There will be mistakes, they will give in, and hopefully they can save the galaxy before its to late. AU but trying to follow canon...for the most part. Rated M for a reason, yes language but other adult stuff as well. FYI: I have some dark intentions for this story.
1. Chapter 1 - Assignment

**Welcome to my first story ever to be shared. Like I said this is my fist time so please be gentle and let me know what you think. I know it starts out short but I have a few chapters ready to go but I'm proof, proof, proof reading them and testing the waters before I release them. **

**Umm...don't know what else to say at the moment except:**

**Bio-ware owns, I'm just playing with their legos.**

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CH 1 - Assignment

"Lieutenant Vega. Come in... Shut the door," Admiral Anderson said when he looked up from his data pad.

The Lieutenant stood at attention after shutting the door to the Admiral's office. Anderson took a moment to take the Lieutenant in. Vega had changed since the Admiral dragged his ass out of that Omega bar fight four months ago. He seemed to be on more solid ground since being assigned to guard the Alliance's involuntary house guest. Anderson was glad for that. The two of them seemed to have grounded each other where nothing else had.

Anderson had watched as the reluctant friendship between Vega and Shepard developed over the past few months. At first Vega was in awe of being in charge of THE Commander Shepard, as the Lieutenant would put it. He was like a kid when he sobered up enough to process his new orders, and became anxious to start his new assignment. That is until he finally met Shepard in the flesh.

"At ease," the Admiral ordered and was promptly obeyed. He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in concentration. "I took your request into consideration, Lieutenant," he said in a matter of fact tone.

Having the undeniable sense that his request was about to be turned down, Vega interrupted the Admiral. "Permission to speak freely, Sir."

"Permission denied," was the return answer. Vega's eyes went blank at the words and his face subtly tightened as he reigned in his anger. The Admiral stood and leaned over his desk, palms flat on the polished surface, and looked the Lieutenant in the eye. "Like I was saying, Lieutenant, I took your request into consideration. Your points where valid, Shepard does need to get out of here, even if it's for a day. If it was up to me I would have granted your request on the spot but I knew that would not have been enough for the ones in charge."

Vega's face went through a slide show of emotions as he listened to the Admiral. Starting with anger then flashing to hope followed by confidence and excitement as he began to mentally make plans. His face finally settled on disappointment and possibly failure, as the rest of the statement registered. Taking in the Lieutenant's reactions, Anderson knew his next statement would turn the kaleidoscope of emotions on Vega's face once more.

Straitening and collecting his data pad, Anderson continued, "So instead I put in a request to command to temporarily relocate Shepard as her room is being outfitted with better security, for her protection. The recent assassination attempts convinced command and I've been given complete authority over her temporary relocation and security outfit." He looked up at Vega. "I believe only one guard is adequate for Shepard's two day relocation to Lake Barrett."

Vega's mind once again began to race as he couldn't believe his request was granted, albeit for different reasons, but still. He could keep his promise to Shepard. He would be able to see his _Abuela y tio_ for the first time in two years, at their family reunion no less. He would be able to see _familia_ that he hadn't seen in years. And they would be able to finally meet Shepard, his-

"Lieutenant Vega? Did you hear me?" Admiral Anderson asked sharply, bringing Vega back to attention. "The two of you will be leaving at 0800 local tomorrow morning for two days. No one is to know who she is or why she is there. Do you understand me?"

"Sir, yes sir," the expectant reply came automatically. He knew keeping things under wraps was for her protection along with his family. All the secrecy would make it practically impossible for someone to find out where they were going which is why he was fine with bringing Shepard around his family, even with possible danger. Besides, for some reason the previous assassination attempts have always been conducted in ways that would cause as little collateral damage as possible.

"This will be treated as a top level mission. No one will know where she is but you and I. Even she can't know where she is going until you get there. You will be given personal transport and the two of you must be under cover. Of course the local population will never believe you to be anyone else but yourself but Shepard will be going under an alias, Juno Armstrong, your girlfriend."

Completely forgetting about protocol Vega asked in disbelief, "Girlfriend?"

Choosing to ignore Vega's lapse, the Admiral continued, "Yes son, as your girlfriend. There won't be a problem with that will there?" He gave no chance for a reply. "You need to check in with me every 12 hours, keep a low profile, and keep her in your sights at all times. We haven't caught whoever wants her dead yet so staying alert at all times is a priority. I've taken the location into consideration along with the local population. Keeping her guard detail to one along with all the other precautions we are taking should keep everyone safe." Just what James was thinking. "I can't stress 'should' enough in this situation. Do you understand?"

He meant the risk Vega would be bringing to his family by bringing Shepard to the lake. But he knew the risks too and was confident the Admiral would cover everything so he replied simply, "Sir, yes sir."

"Good, I've already sent you the mission orders and details. Any questions?"

"Uh….no, not at the moment, sir."

"Dismissed then," nodding the Admiral turned his attention back to the data pad as Vega hesitantly turned to leave. The Admiral's voice stopped Vega's hand from turning the knob. "Take care of her Lieutenant...I…The alliance can't lose her."

Vega didn't miss the slip the Admiral gave but did not comment on it. Looking him dead in the eyes, Vega responded in all seriousness.

"Don't worry Admiral; I will bring her back the same way she left."

"That's all I ask, son."

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**Thoughts, ideas, opinions, gibberish?**


	2. Chapter 2 - Familia

**I got excited and decided to whip out chapter 2. Don't expect them so frequently though. Maybe once a week but I make no promises.**

**So I decided to give James a big extended family and made up a bunch of stuff to go with them. I'm sorta jumping right in with the attraction but not. You'll understand what I mean in later chapters.**

**And: I'm just playing with Bioware's legos.**

_Eighteen Weeks Earlier_

"Oh fucking hell," Shepard grumbled out loud after being told the Lieutenant before her was going to be her babysitter.

Anderson just left the room a moment ago after introducing the two and informing the both of them the extent of their new found relationship. And what made it worse was the Lieutenant looked eager to do his new assignment to the point where he reminded her of a little boy getting to meet his idol.

"Ma'am it's a real honor to get the chance to work with you. I've followed your carrier and have to say-"

Wanting to discourage him from getting his hopes up and, let's face it, she never liked being considered a hero when she was just doing her job; she proceeded to put down the man in front of her.

"Let's get this straight Lieutenant," she interrupted him, looking in his eyes when he stopped his rambling to look at her. "You've been assigned to be my babysitter, not my companion, not my friend, and especially not to remind me of what I've done in my carrier with the Alliance." She watched as all the excitement left his stance and was replaced by a chill of professionalism. Regretting her words but not apologizing for them she signed and continued. "Look Lieutenant, what I'm trying to say is-"

It was his turn to interrupt her, "No, I get it Commander. You don't want me here. I'm going to be a thorn in your side so tell you what I'm going to do. I'll just go stand over there and act as a pretty wall ornament while you stay in your cell during our flight home." He then turned and walked to the head of the corridor. Standing there at attention for what seemed hours he never once glanced her way or made a sound to announce the fact that he was still there.

Shepard sighed and regretted how she presented herself to him. She didn't want to deal with a fan boy but she didn't want an ornament, as he put it. It wasn't his fault she was in here and it wasn't his fault he was given this assignment so why take it out on him? Stopping her mouth from running off before she could filter it was a problem she needed to stop one day. Closing her eyes, Juno rested her head against the side of her cell and began to study nothing in particular.

_Present Day_

"Oh fucking hell," Shepard grumbled out loud after being told by Vega that they were to act as a couple during her temporary relocation while her room was being repaired and re-secured. With higher security no doubt.

She and Vega where an hour to their destination and she just now was told where they were going and what the situation was. Why couldn't he download to her beforehand? All he told her yesterday was to pack for two days, to be in civis, what little selection she had, and be ready to go by 0745. And now she had one hour to come up with a plausible story as to why she was going with him to his family reunion. Oh and why she was his girlfriend.

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Vega said after hearing her curse.

He remembered her reaction when he told her to pack for a couple days. She kept it hidden well but after being around her nonstop for four months Vega had learned the subtle tells of her excitement. Her eyes widened ever so slightly and one of her brows would rise above the other. The sides of her mouth would then curve up just a hint and her bottom lip would be drawn in ever so slightly, exposing a tooth or two.

_Dios_, whenever she drew that lip in he had to stifle the urge to kiss her, which he shouldn't be thinking about anyways. But when he first saw her draw her lip in to be captured by her teeth, the look stopped him in his tracks and he couldn't think. It wasn't until she asked if there was something in her teeth that he noticed that he was staring at her mouth. From that moment three months ago he knew he was in trouble and could easily become obsessed with her. It was the first time he considered her more than his idol, more than a commanding officer in the Navy, more than a hero. He saw her for the first time as a woman.

Yesterday when she bit her lip to his news he knew he was still in trouble with the woman standing in front of him. But when he said he couldn't tell her where they were going and that military issued clothing was not an option, the look left her face, making way for his second favorite look she gave, confusion.

"Well….it's not bad….but it's not good either," she hesitantly said, not wanting to crush his ego. Well his ego wasn't crushable to begin with but still, after their first meeting she couldn't bring herself to hurt his feelings again for some reason.

"Not good? How could you say being with me isn't good? I mean look at me. What woman wouldn't like to be with this?" He said, taking a moment to gesture at himself.

Shepard smiled at his typical gloating and flirtation. It was who he was and somehow his behavior grew on her over the past few months. She remembered when he first approached her two weeks after their initial meeting. They had been acting appropriately as prisoner and guard with little to no interaction when Vega walked right up to her cell. He held a chess board and insisted that she stop moping around and play with the most handsome man on the ship.

_"Come on Shepard, it's time for you get off your sorry butt, pretty though it is, and use some of that famous strategy I've heard so much about."_

_She looked up from her hands and saw him carrying a box with the word 'CHESS' written boldly on the side. He had a smile on his face and was watching her for a reaction of his sudden approach and change in demeanor. _

_Since their first meeting, he'd barely communicated with her, save for the obligatory meal announcements and bathroom breaks. He kept to his promise to leave her alone and act as the perfect guard. Now that he was coming to her in what was an obvious 180 from their ignoring of each other she was surprised and suspicious._

_"Why would you want to play with me?" she asked with the suspicion she was feeling._

_Shrugging he nonchalantly answered, "Because, _bella, _every woman deserves a chance to play with me." She didn't miss his innuendo and scoffed at him. "What? Afraid I can beat you?"_

_She looked at him and gave him a once over. He was tall, dark, and wore his Hispanic heritage proudly. He was easy on the eyes even with the scars on his face and any woman with a pulse could appreciate his form. His hair was dark cut short in a standard military cut, mostly. She grasped that subject to stop her thoughts._

_"Your hair isn't standard military."_

_And she was an idiot. He was giving her a second chance to make things civil between the two and she was blowing it, again._

_"And your specter status isn't standard military either but that didn't stop you from kicking butt and looking good at the same time. Now, you up for a game? Or would you rather study your nails some more?" Vega began to set up the board, giving her the white pieces._

_Eyeing his movements she scooted closer to the bars of her cell and asked, "You're that confident I will play?"_

_"_Bebé_, the way I see It, you have two choices. You can either accept whatever entertainment I bring you or you could sit here, board out of your mind and miss the chance to play with this _muy quapo hombre_ in front of you."_

_She settled herself against the bars so the pieces on her side of the board where reachable and asked, "And what if I don't know how to play?"_

_He stopped his set up and looked at her with all seriousness. "Then I will teach you."_

_After the first debacle of a round she began to give Vega a run for his money. All the while he would talk about nothing in particular or about himself while she listened and enjoyed the time together. That day started a habit of him bringing her a game or a deck of cards that continued as they settled in Vancouver. He would talk, or flirt, away and she would listen to his voice and take in the experiences of his childhood and early military carrier._

"Vega, I…I don't know if we can pull this off."

Glancing at her he took in the worried look on her face and comforted her. "Don't worry _bella_ you can do it. We won't have to do much that couples do anyways. _Mi abuela_ will have us in separate rooms, being as how traditional she is; I will more than likely have to help set up for the _Fiesta_ and mi primas y tias will be showing you the ropes in the kitchen. Everything will be fine Shepard don't worry."

That just made her even more nervous. She couldn't cook to save her life and to be stranded in the midst of a bunch of Vegas, whom she never met before. She was in deep shit. Maybe she could convince him to play their relationship off as co-workers.

"Vega, I was thinking. Why don't we-"

"Speaking of that, I don't think we should be calling each other by our last names. Boyfriend and girlfriends don't tend to do that."

She narrowed her eyes at him for cutting her off then studied his profile. From the serious look on his face she saw he wasn't joking.

"You mean we call each other by our first names," she stated more than questioned. She never called him by his first name before. He was always Vega, Lieutenant, or LT to her. Never as James.

Seeing his nod of affirmation she decided to try out his name she licked her lips and looked at him.

"James."

The strangest look came over him when she said his name out loud for the first time. He had closed his eyes for a moment as if savoring something, turned his head to her ever so slightly and inhaled sharply. He looked… well she didn't know what he looked like but it was not like him. Just when she was about to ask if he was alright he opened his eyes and was the regular ole Vega…James. She should think of him as James now.

"See that wasn't hard to say. Say it again."

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"My name."

"James?"

"Yeah, say it again."

Looking at him like he was crazy she obliged him. "James."

Smiling he moaned, "I love it when a woman says my name over and over again."

Suddenly realizing what he meant she groaned in exasperation, "Fucking flirt."

"Come on, you love that about me."

"Uh-huh."

Ten minutes out James noticed for tapping anxiously. Five minutes out and she began tearing at her nails with her teeth. As they landed she was breathing heavily.

Looking out the window, James saw members of his family. Aunts, uncles, and a myriad of cousins he hadn't seen in a couple years approached them. They all looked familiar to him but at the same time different. He knew who and what they were as people and knew they would accept Juno the second they saw her but she didn't know that.

She wasn't good at meeting new people and he knew it from observation and firsthand experience. What he didn't know was that she would be this nervous. She looked ready to bolt at the earliest opportunity.

Grabbing her hand in his, squeezing, he captured her attention. "You'll be fine _bella_. Trust me."

"James, I don't-"

"Shhh," he interrupted her. "Trust me."

Looking into his eyes she found strength she didn't know she needed and controlled her fear. She could face down damn collectors without batting an eyelash. She head butt Krogan and take on mindless husks with no issues. And now she was going to add meeting Vega's…James' family to that list of feats. It would be easy, she could do this.

Seeing her resolve settle over her, James' opened the vehicle and stepped out into the chaos of his family. He was pulled left and right for enthusiastic hugs, cheek pinching, hand shaking, and back slapping. Family member after family member greeted him, some new, some old, some familiar, and others grown up from the last time they were together. He took each one in and grinned ear to ear at each of them.

After what seemed like minutes he was able to pull himself from the arms of the latest aunt to hug him and turned back to their vehicle. She was standing there, looking out of place and probably feeling it as well. She gripped one elbow and watched him approach with a smile on his face.

She never saw him smile like this. Yes she's seen him grin, smirk, and show all sorts of happy emotion with his mouth but she never saw him smile like this. His heart was in it and he was happy, more than usual. His smile was also infectious as she found herself returning a small one as he reached her side and took her hand once more in his.

"Trust me," he told her a second time. After looking in his eyes again she nodded and turned her attention to his family as he led her towards them. She gripped his hand harder when they stopped in front of the crowd of smiling faces.

"Everyone, _esta es mi novia, Juno Armstrong_," he called out. At the sound of her name she looked up at him, surprised at the sound of her first name. He said it with his Spanish accent making it sound like who-no as supposed to correct pronunciation jew-no. No one called her by her first name any more and for some reason she liked how he pronounced it to his family. Then he turned to her with that smile again.

"Juno, _mi familia_," he said simply and she was suddenly surrounded by men and women of differing ages, all sharing similar features but vastly different at the same time. It was her turn to be pulled left and right to receive hugs, shake hands in greeting, and have her cheeks pinched which Vega…James would pay for later. They spoke to her in rapid Spanish leaving her unable to follow a word they were saying making her want to kick herself for leaving her translator back in Vancouver. It wasn't until she heard James call over the crowed that she noticed he wasn't holding her hand anymore.

"Hey, _no habla espanol."_

Immediately she began to hear English from all directions dotted with Spanish, much like James would do. Questions abounded around her as the women pulled her towards the large cabin she was just now noticing. Looking back at Vega….James she saw him mouth 'You'll be fine' and somehow, because of his reassurance, she knew she would be.

As he watched Juno disappear into the cabin he knew she could handle his family, as nosy and loud as it was. If he could take out mercenaries without losing her cool, she would make it through the interrogation process the women of his family were famous for.

"Jimmy."

His _Tio_ Emilio caught James' attention and he turned to greet the older man once more, this time with a hug that was eagerly returned. Emilio pulled back to look at James for a moment then stepped back.

"So, you girlfriend huh," Tio asked.

"Yes, sir."

Emilio looked at the cabin the women entered an seemed to study it. "Your _abuela_ is going to be heart broken when she finds out Juno isn't your girlfriend."

"_Tio_-"

"You don't need to say anything to me James. I understand the work you do and I know who she is. Just…," he sighed and looked back at his nephew. "Try not to get _Abuela's_ hopes up while you're here."

Looking back in the direction of the cabin, James rubbed the back of his neck. "I know _Tio_. I can't afford to do anything like that."

**Please let me know if I'm butchering my elementary Spanish.**

**Feed back, feed back would be nice.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Kiss?

**So here is the next part of our story. Its long, I know, but hey, more fun for you. We're going to see a little more of Juno's insecurities here and James' internal battle.**

**A little on what type of Shepard I'm going for. I wanted a strong woman who was too use to loosing people she cared about which has made her develop a habit of keeping people away. But at the same time she wants to belong to something she's never had. I also didn't want to make her a complete hard ass. I've seen happy go lucky Shepards and get the fuck out of my way Shepards and I wanted something in the middle. I think I found it but we will see. **

**If you're wondering about the Spanish I suggest looking it up. Google translate? I don't want to ruin the effect of the story by inserting translations and I don't like the idea of making a list were you have to keep scrolling to look at and lose your place. Besides I think I use just a little too much of it to make it a short list. Sorry about that.**

**Please, please, please tell me how I'm doing. I want to thank those who have reviewed, it's made me all giddy and confident.**

**Bioware's legos anyone?**

_Eleven Weeks Earlier_

Vega sat across from Shepard trying to discern if she was bluffing or not. He had three kings that he would be willing to bet with anyone else but she turned out to be a much better card player than he anticipated. She wasn't biting her bottom lip like she did while excited so she shouldn't have anything better than he had. But what threw him off was the fact that her nails weren't being gnawed off, exposing her nervousness. She had a damn good poker face that he could not quite figure out. He would soon though.

Deciding to keep with his gut feeling he called and laid down his cards.

"Three kings, _bella. _You got anything that could beat that I'd be surprised."

Looking at his cocky grin she smirked and laid down her cards. Four aces.

The look of disbelief on his face was priceless and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

Vega stilled as her laugh washed over him. It was the first time he heard her laugh and he was mesmerized by her, again, just like the lip biting. He wouldn't be so romantic and say her laugh was music to his ears but it definitely affected him in a way he couldn't explain. She had thrown her head back a bit exposing her slender neck and the little freckle he discovered a week ago hiding underneath her jaw. Her long, dark, and wavy hair was down around her shoulders for once, which was a shock in itself when he first saw it out of military restrictions. It complimented nicely with her light skin that had him wondering how soft it was. Her green eyes sparkled in amusement and he was able to spot the elusive laugh lines that flanked her full pink lips. Those lips where now moving, exposing those teeth and a hint of her tongue that liked to dart out and moisten her lips. When they made the same movements for the third time he realized she was talking to him.

"L.T." her voice finally registered in his mind and brought him back. "You ok?" she asked with concern on her features. "I have something in my teeth?" she asked when he didn't answer and moved to cover her mouth.

"No," he quickly stumbled out. "No, I'm fine and there's nothing in your teeth"…_you're perfect._

_ What are you thinking?_ _Stop it puto._

Giving him another look that said she didn't believe him, Shepard picked up the cards and presented them to him.

"You're deal."

* * *

_Present Day_

Juno was busy but at the same time she felt like she accomplished nothing all morning. James' family kept her occupied with an interrogation that seemed to last hours as she dodged questions and made up answers that were as truthful as she could make them. She wanted to kick herself when she started to push the other women away with short gruff answers and not so subtle attempts of escape from the kitchen. Every time she stepped towards an exit an aunt would ask her help or a cousin would throw out another question she was unwilling to answer. It was if these women didn't understand the meaning of no. Or they didn't care that she was completely out of her element.

The interrogation ceased when a bunch of teenage boys came into the kitchen and complained they were starving which prompted an almost force feeding of Juno as the boys gathered their own plates. After the overly large yet delicious breakfast it was time to prep for lunch which Juno didn't understand how anyone could start thinking about food after all that was just consumed.

The Vega women quickly figured out Juno's lack of culinary skills when she asked how to use the can opener and decided to assign her the tedious job of potato pealing. An elderly woman named Maria, who Juno figured out was James' grandmother on his mother's side, showed Juno how to peal through the massive amount of potatoes while subtly attempting to gain more information. Juno recognized how good Maria, who insisted on being called Abuela, was at gathering intel. If it wasn't for the fact that she was too old to enlist, Juno would have highly recommended Abuela to the Alliance. Cerberus wouldn't see it coming.

Juno quickly found that asking about James was the best way to adjust Abuela's attention. This resulted in hearing stories of when James was young and laughing or gasping in disbelief. What he would do as a boy, his likes and dislikes. Juno figured she now had some good blackmail on Vega… James when Abuela was pulled away to sample a dish before it was deemed ready.

When no one took Abuela's place Juno's attention turned to the window she sat next to. Most of the men where outside setting up tables and chairs, hanging decorations in surrounding trees and erecting posts. Things she wished she was doing instead of skinning the damn potatoes.

As the noon day sun began to beat down on the lawn, the men started to remove shirts in an attempt to cool off. Some probably should of kept them on but some of the others. She would have to save some of those images for one of her showers.

That was when she finally spotted James. He was sitting on top of a ladder next to one of the poles. Shirtless. All those images carefully reserved for her showers were just blown away.

She quite forgot what she was doing as she took him in. His skin was glistening with a fine sheen of sweat, highlighting the well-defined muscles of his torso and occasionally creating a path down his muscles as a droplet or two let gravity take effect. The dark tattoos covering his shoulder and neck along with his military tags stood out as invitations to touch the skin they graced. Instead of the standard military fatigues she never saw him without; he wore a pair of tan shorts that contrasted nicely with his dark skin and hung low on his hips, exposing the top of what was known as the male V. As he stood up to attach a string of lights to the top of the pole, his body stretched and flexed in a way that was indescribable. That's when she noticed the fine line of dark hair that started an inch or two below his navel and continued on down until it disappeared beneath his belt. Below the belt buckle she could see-

"So, enjoying the view?"

Juno whipped her head around to see Sofia, or was it Camila, one of James' cousins anyways, smiling down at her in a knowing look. Juno felt heat flush over her already tingly body in embarrassment at being caught ogling James…Vega. Thinking fast she decided to misunderstand the woman's question and straightened her shoulders.

"Oh, yes. The lake below is magnificent today with the weather being so nice and the mountains…" Quickly drawing on her unflappable resolve from years in the military, Shepard looked Vega's cousin in the eye with all the authority of being a Commander in the Alliance and dared her to deny the change in subject. "How many cabins is the family renting for the party?"

The woman stared at Shepard a long minute, deciding to call on the obvious bluff or not. Seeing the other woman surrender to the change in subject Shepard relaxed, just a bit, and motioned for her to sit across from her.

"We are renting the four large cabins surrounding the lawn we are setting up. Each can sleep 15-25 people depending on how many children there are."

Shepard's eyes widened at the number of people and the other woman smiled in amusement.

"I know what you're thinking. Such a large _familia_. This family tradition goes back to mi abuela de mi abuela where the dozen or so got together every year at her small home outside of San Diego.

"How did it get to such a large gathering?"

"Well, as the years went by they started to meet at larger homes, parks, and eventually decided to rent a cabin for the elderly while the rest camped out. Now around 200 of us Vegas get together here every 5 years keeping the tradition, bringing along friends who eventually become unofficial members."

Shepard listened in awe at the size of the Vega family and it's resolve to stick together over the years. At that moment she wished she could have a family like the Vegas. To have the support, love, and encouragement she saw everywhere around her. But being with the Alliance she would never…Stopping her train of thoughts, Shepard cleared her throat and asked, "If the cabins can hold at most 100 people and there are going to be 200 people or so here then how are they going to fit and why aren't they here?"

Laughing at Shepard's question the other woman answered, "The majority who plan to stay in the cabins will arrive tomorrow along with many of the ones who plan on camping under the stars. The day after, more campers will arrive for the main festivities. So will many who just plan to attend for the day."

"Oh. Sounds logical to me."

"Sounds logical huh," the other woman stated while giving Shepard a once over. Shepard almost squirmed under the woman's scrutiny. "So, Juno, tell me about…" And with that, Shepard really did begin to squirm.

James had just finished securing the last of the lights and ribbons to the top of the pole and was thinking about breaking for lunch and a cool swim in the lake below to get away from the heat of the sun. He would invite Juno to go with him of course to get her out of that kitchen. Thinking of her in the kitchen with all the women brought him back to the day he found out she couldn't cook worth shit.

_"You're telling me, that in these seven weeks we've been together, you never thought to mention that you know nothing about cooking? I though all this time heading to the mess was to get you out of this room for an hour." Vega asked Shepard as he placed a pot on the counter. _

_Her "cell" was a two room apartment reserved for commanding officers. The main room served as a three-in-one with a small kitchen in one corner, a four chair dinning set in another and the rest of the room set up as a living area. Her bedroom was set off to the side with a small bathroom in its midst that Vega never saw._

_ The kitchen, being the object of their current attention, was being set up for use for the first time since Shepard arrived. Vega had just found out through a card game that Shepard didn't know how to cook, couldn't cook according to her, and now he insisted on teaching her how to make a meal. Nothing fancy, just whatever he found in the cabinet that served as her pantry. Turned out it would be spaghetti with pasta sauce._

_ "Never needed to learn I guess," she told him as she watched him pull out everything he would need to make their impromptu meal. "At the orphanage Mrs. Rossi did all the cooking and when I signed up there where always mess halls or at the very least MREs. And if I got tired of that I could go out to eat if I wanted."_

_ "Well not anymore, _Bella_. I'm going to show you how to cook so when the mess hall is out of food, all the restaurants are closed, and you ate your last MRE the other day, you can think of me as you fend for yourself."_

_ She chuckled at that and decided to banter with him, "Yes, well, after all my other nutrient options are out of the picture, why on earth would I want to think of you in that god awful apron bending over to drag out that useless bowl with holes. I mean the view has its perks but why would I want to engrain it in my memory?"_

_ Vega turned around at that and crossed his arms. "Well, well Commander it looks like I'm beginning to rub off on you. With a little more practice I won't be able to keep my hands off you. Its called a colander by the way."_

_ She snorted, approached the kitchen and noted the ingredients to their meal on the counter. "Ok, what do I do?"_

_ "Grab that pot right there and fill it half way with water."_

_ "Alright…I should warn you though, I've been known to burn water."_

_ "Of course you have _bella_. A woman as hot as you could make anything boil."_

_ Shaking her head at his antics she proceeded to follow his instructions, with help of course. _

_He showed her how to stir the sauce so it wouldn't burn and how to add seasoning a little at a time so it wouldn't over power and ruin the flavor. He would banter and flirt with her and she would chuckle and attempted to return the favor. When the pasta was boiling he showed her how to test if it was ready by throwing a string against the wall. She mimicked his actions but somehow the noodle bounce off the surface she aimed for and it landed on Vega's head. _

_In disbelief, Vega reached up and pulled the wayward piece off to dangle in the air in front of him. Blinking, he turned to Shepard and gave her a look that said – How? – All of a sudden she burst into giggles which quickly turned into an all out laugh that had her grabbing her sides and hitting the floor, her feet unable to keep her up._

_He never saw her collapse in a fit of laughter before, doubted if she ever did. It was unexpected, sudden and she was beautiful writhing on the floor like that. That evening his heart ached in a peculiar way that had him rubbing his chest._

_Somehow she wasn't just Commander Shepard to him, with all those illustrious titles of heroship. Somehow over the past few weeks she had become a woman. A woman who kicked ass and took names, but a woman all the same. He knew if he wasn't careful she could become more than just a friend to him. Maybe she already was. Either way he had to be careful._

_When they were done the noodles where a little over done and the sauce was a hint too salty but he praised her cooking anyways. She denied any success on her part and settled on the couch to watch what he called a movie classic. Vega sat on the other end of the couch, as was their routine when they watched a movie, but this time he sat just a little closer to her. She didn't seem to mind._

_She would though when he broke the news of her involuntary discharge officially declared a few hours ago. _

Wiping his face off with his discarded shirt James admired his work when he heard a door slam at the cabin. Juno had apparently left the cabin and was now briskly walking away from the kitchen door towards the back where vehicles were parked not too far away. She was upset, he knew it by the way she held her arms and refused to look at anyone.

Tossing his shirt on the ladder he called out, "Hey, Juno." She didn't turn or bother to acknowledge him; just picked up the frantic pace she set in motion and continued towards the vehicles.

_Infierno,_ now he was going to have to follow her and find out what was wrong. As he approached the house the door to the kitchen opened up and his cousin Daniela came out with a look that made him curse.

"¿Que has hecho?" he barked at her, knowing all too well what his cousin could do. She was the pit bull of the women, sniffing out weakness of others she didn't consider good enough for any of the men of the family and grabbing at it till her target gave in and left. Her intentions where good, wanting to protect _familia_ and all, but no one ever seemed good enough by her standards.

"_Nada, primo_," she said with all the innocents of a perfectly groomed cat with cream on it's whiskers.

"No me mientas, Daniela. Yo sé lo que haces."

"But Jimmy."

"Don't Jimmy me. Tu y yo will have words when I get back."

James continued past his cousin and saw that Juno had disappeared. _Mierda, where did she go_? Moving into a slow run he passed the vehicles calling out for her. Seeing she wasn't among them he headed into the trees that lay just beyond.

"Juno…" he called out listening for her reply. "Juno…come on _bella_ talk to me…Jun-"He stopped when he heard a shuffle to his right and there she was, crouched down against a tree, clenching her legs and…crying? Was she crying? Oh, Daniela was going to pay.

James crouched down beside her and gently pulled her arms free of her legs to wrap them around his neck.

"Come on. A_rriba,_ up _bella," _he coaxed and soon she was standing with his arms wrapped around her body. The top of her head only reached his collar bone which gave him the ability to rest his chin on top as she burrowed into his bare chest. The last and only other time they embraced like this was when she found out one of her old friends from boot camp had died from the actions she chose. Albeit it was a long connection to blame Juno for her friend's death but she had made the connection and that was all that mattered.

James was in bliss just then as he held this woman in his arms. Her hair smelled of strawberries from the shampoo he gave her a while back in an attempt to cheer her up after a particularly bad day. A hint of vanilla mingled with the strawberries as he breathed in her scent again triggering the memory of when he caught her rubbing lotion on her bare legs. She was wrapped up in a towel, fresh out of a shower, which explained why she didn't respond when he announced his presence. She had just lifted a leg onto the bed a squirted some lotion on her hands when the teasing hint of vanilla hit his senses. The towel had risen as she administered to her bent leg. Just enough was exposed below the bottom hem of that towel to fuel a fantasy but not enough to fill in the blank, leaving lots of room for the imagination.

He had to stop before the full measure of his desire was noticed by her so he took a step back. Just enough to keep her from noticing things but remaining close enough to hold her face in his hands and tilt her head up to him.

"What happened, _bella_?" he asked softly, wiping away a stream of moisture with his thumb.

She couldn't meet his eyes as she stared at his tags. She looked sad and forlorn as if something was troubling her. That look made him want to do anything to make the world right again for her and see that smile grace her face.

"B_ella_… What did Daniela do?" His inquired, hoping to think of something to take that look of her face.

"So that's her name, I couldn't remember it."

"I don't expect you to with so many people here."

His hands dropped to her shoulders, "Tell me what happened."

Taking in a shuttering breath to calm her nerves Juno began to relay what happened in the kitchen. From the instinctual attempts to alienate his family and having those attempts ignored. To the wonderful conversations she was having with _Abuela_ and her insistence she be called _Abuela _even if Juno wasn't part of the family. She explained how she cared for the older woman and she felt like she belonged while conversing with her. She conveniently left out the part when she was enjoying the view out the window and proceeded to tell him about Daniela and what she said.

"And then she started asking questions about me, you, me and you. Where we met? Do we live together? What your favorite color is." She sounded annoyed at the situation as she gestured randomly with her hands. But as she continued she became subdued and concerned.

"She talked about _Abuela_ and how she would be heartbroken if the only girl you brought to meet that family was just a scam. That got me to thinking that I can't do that to _Abuela_. I know I've only known her for only a few hours but I like her and I….." Suddenly she shifted gears from a pile of emotions to calm collected military intelligence. "Did you know Daniela even asked details of our first kiss?"

"What?" When she uncovered that trip mine it had James stumbling in disbelief at his cousin's audacity. _Mi dios_ he was going to kill her for making Juno doubt herself. He knew how much she has always wanted to feel like she belonged in a family. She wanted a feeling that she never had before. A feeling that he wanted to give her. Of course she never and would never admit to that want but James knew about it all the same. His cousin's meddling wasn't helping.

"Yes," she cried in confirmation then started to pace in front of him. "She asked where it was, was it on a date, did we use tongue, was it planned or did it just happened? And when I refused to answer her she said she was going to tell _Abuela_ and I was no good for you. She also said she could see right through my intentions."

"And what are they?" he asked with a grin.

Not missing a beat she answered, "According to your cousin my intentions are to get with the easiest guy I can find with some sort of rank in the Alliance, wine and dine him till he starts to shower me with gifts, then when he runs out of credits, drop him like a bad habit and hunt down the next one."

"Well you're doing good so far. Now all you have to do is wine and dine me and I'll gladly shower you with gifts."

She stopped and glared at him. "That's not funny Vega."

"Come on_ bella_ not even a little?" he asked while holding up his thumb and forefinger to show his meaning. "The greatest Commander in the galaxy who can take on thresher maws was intimidated and manipulated by a know-it-all woman who doesn't understand the meaning of boundaries."

It took her a minute but her features gradually melted into a hint of amusement but she wouldn't allow him to see much. He was right, she was letting someone get to her when she usually didn't. For some reason this place had an effect on her that made her act… normal. At least as normal as someone like her could be. James also had this effect on her, giving her the ability to calm down from situations like this. Kaiden was never able to give her the ability to reign in her emotions like James did.

Presenting him with a half smile she rubbed the back of her head and sighed.

"You're right. A month ago I would have laughed at you if you told me I would be crying like a teenage girl over a damn kiss that never happened." She looked up at him. "I can't believe I did that."

"It's alright; you can blame it all on the nerves that have been building up since this morning."

She seemed to be contemplating that.

"I think I will," she stated then made her way back to the house. Before she could get anywhere though, James pulled her attention back to him.

"You know, if I know my cousin, and I'm pretty sure I do, she's going to ask you about that kiss again. And knowing the way _mi_ _familia_ is…"

"Let me guess, they will eventually ask about that kiss too," she finished for him, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"And I really don't like lying to _mi familia_…" he trailed off leaving her to guess what he was hinting at.

She knew what he was doing, the damn flirt. He always did this and then backed off right about now. It annoyed her at times like. If only she could get back at him for all the times he dropped a line. If she was any good at being a flirt she would—

_Maybe I could get back at him._

She watched as James began to back out of the situation like she knew he would. Facing away from her, she saw that look he wore when he was thinking of a quick subject change. _Oh no you don't._ She approached him, determined to make him squirm before she lost her nerve. He took an involuntary step back as she got close enough to feel the heat of his body and placed a palm on his bare chest, fingers interlacing with the chain of his tags.

"Let's do it," she breathed.

He looked like a deer caught in the head lights and from that one look alone, it was worth it.

* * *

"Let's do it," she breathed and he froze. _Dios._ What did she mean? Kiss? He couldn't do that. Well he could, any warm blooded man would take her up on the offer to kiss those lips, but he wouldn't. He absolutely would not. The second he had a taste of her he wouldn't be able to stop and then where would they be in this charade. She would eventually resent him for ruining their friendship and push him away like he knew she could. _Dios._

She was also a ranking officer of the Alliance, well use to be but that didn't matter, and she was a hero for countless reasons that he just couldn't remember at the moment. He would not ruin this and kiss her, as much as he would like to meld his lips with hers, he couldn't. If those beautiful teeth gently bit down on his own lips instead of hers…

"James…..James did you hear me?"

_James idiota. What did she say?_

"Uh….."

_That was brilliant._

Juno smiled and he realized she knew the power she held over him as a woman. How much power she knew about he didn't know but he could tell she was learning, quickly.

"Our first kiss, remember?"

After licking his lips James made a little more intelligent response then the last, "Uh…yeah."

_Damn it, James. Think._

"Were we outside?" she asked in the breathy voice that he knew she discovered affected him more than it should of.

"Y-yeah."

She reached up with her other palm and stroked his tattoo again. At the touch of her fingers, his flesh rose in little bumps that seemed to make him even more sensitive. Satisfaction flashed in her eyes when he noticed a sound. _Por favor tell me I did not just groan._

"Were we alone?"

"Si."

She began to trace the blocks of black on his skin with her finger tip. A rush of adrenaline ran through his body as she caressed him, making his skin tingle in anticipation. His breathing became ragged and he mind went blank.

"Did either of us plan it?"

Not realizing what he was doing he tilted his head down to give her better access, closing the gap in their height difference. His hand began to slide up her arm, her neck being its destination, and his eyes slid partially closed.

"No lo creo."

She smiled at his Spanish and edged a little closer, sliding the hand on his chest up the chain of his tags to wrap around the back of his neck. Juno dropped her voice and whispered, "Did we use our tongues?"

His response was just as low, "Si, dios si."

James knew his world was about to change as those moist lips drew closer to his own. Their bodies where so close that he could feel the gentile brush of her clothed breasts against his flushed skin, making him groan and close his eyes completely.

"James," she whispered, tickling his face with her gentile breath.

"I'll see you later," she told him as she pulled out of their embrace and trekked her way back to the cabin with a little bounce in her step.

James didn't know what hit him. One moment he was about to have the most anticipated kiss of his life and the next he was watching the woman in front of him saunter out of the trees.

_Damn it._ He knew what she just did. She played him and didn't keep to the promise she advertized. _Dios_ he had created a monster and she was damn good at it.

**Sooooo, what did you think? Let me know if the direction I'm going works or if I should shift a lane or two.**


	4. Chapter 4 - New Clothes

**Ok, Chapter 4….don't really have much to talk about at the moment... I have no Beta so I apologize for mistakes that are found. I won't apologize for the ones that are not found. Reviews are nice, so please leave one behind. Thank you to those who have already done so... Ok, it turns out I did have something to talk about.**

**I'm just playing with Bioware's legos.**

_Ten Weeks Earlier_

Vega awoke with a jerk as movement flittered over his chest. He was about to bolt upright and reach for his gun when the soft feminine weight on top of him shifted again.

_Shepard._

They had fallen asleep on the couch while watching the movie and looking over at the vid screen he could now see the end credits rolling.

They were watching the sequel to the movie from the previous week upon her request. Part way in, he heard her jaw pop from a yawn and watched her stifle the tail end of that yawn with a hand. He knew she hadn't been getting sleep in the past couple days and he also knew it was because of her being discharged but she wouldn't comment on it.

Knowing if he mentioned something she would just deny it and resolve to stay awake through the movie, he adjusted a pillow behind him and grabbed her arm. She squeaked from the sudden jerk towards him and struggled to pull out of his grip to no avail. He proceeded to lean back against the pillow bringing her with him.

"Lieutenant, let go of me, that's an order," she growled after fruitlessly yanking from his grip.

He pulled her so she was lying over his side, wedged between him and the back of the couch, head resting on his torso. He wrapped his legs around her wriggling ones and pinned her against him.

Her attention went from getting free of his grasp, to his face when he began to speak in a low soft voice.

"Pardon any insubordination ma'am but I believe you no longer hold any rank over me."

He knew what he said would hit her hard and his knowledge was confirmed when her eyes became glassy from tears. But she wouldn't let them loose. At least not yet.

She gave him a narrowed eyed look that seemed to stretch on forever. He knew if she could she would be reprimanding him right now for his actions. After a long moment she gave in and settled against him. She turned her attention back to the movie and watched it for a bit as he watched her. She was beautiful and she felt amazing against his body like this but he knew better. He couldn't have her in anyway except in a platonic friendship.

Now as Vega realized he couldn't move without waking the woman on top of him, he cursed himself for not thinking. Looking around at his surroundings he attempted to devise a way to move out from under her when she began to move again.

She moaned and shifted her arm up towards his shoulder to cup it. One of her legs bent at the knee and began to rise along his slowly. His breath hitched and he stopped breathing entirely when her knee gently caressed his now throbbing shaft, then settled below it, snug against his balls. Fuck he was in trouble.

Looking down at her upturned face he saw that she was still asleep, possibly dreaming. She looked so peaceful on top of him, so right, like she belonged there. Mesmerized by the situation he brought his hand up to cup her face and draw it up just a little more. He had to taste those parted lips, it was all he could think of at the moment.

Angling his head, Vega drew closer. Those sweet, petal pink lips.

"Kaiden."

His body went cold and he came crashing back to reality at the sound of her voice mumbling the other man's name.

She wasn't his; she belonged to someone else, if that moan meant anything. He knew she was completely out of his reach, especially after she commented about the woman in the movie being stupid for loving a younger man. How could he of gotten himself in this situation?

Slamming his head against the arm of the couch he seethed in frustration and anger. But she needed the sleep more than he needed to get away from her.

Letting his body burn from arousal he staid right where he was till the morning.

_Present Day_

James woke the next morning with Juno wrapped around his side. They didn't start off the night that way, both keeping to their sides and facing away from each other. It seemed sometime during the night James had rolled to his back while Juno unconsciously took advantage and snuggled up to him.

When he told her the rooming situation the night before he thought she would be pissed at him for lying about _Abuela_'s tendency to be traditional and having separate rooms available for them. Apparently his _abuela_ forgot about tradition this time around and figured the two of them wouldn't mind sharing a bed, being a couple and all.

Being the gentleman he wouldn't f been if he was in the same situation with any other woman, James offered the room up to Juno. It would have worked if she didn't ask where he would sleep. He couldn't lie to her.

"I figured I would just sleep under the stars like it was a mission or something," he told her while picking up a blanket, purposely avoiding her eyes.

She grabbed the blanket in his hand to keep him from leaving. "The bed is big enough for both of us, James," she told him. "We can be adults here and share a bed."

After studying her expression he gave in and agreed to her suggestion. He thought it would be fine, nothing wrong with sharing a bed with a warm woman that he couldn't have. That is till he woke up with a raging hard on and her soft body against his.

Talking to the Admiral during the morning's check in straightened Vega out where his position was concerned with Shepard. She was a superior officer, official or not, a prisoner, his ward, and completely off limits. It didn't help though when the Admiral said their temporary relocation was delayed for an additional two days. Something about a wrong piece of security equipment and a mix up with the replacement window to her apartment…cell…whatever.

After his check in James went looking for Juno when he found their room empty. He stood in the kitchen doorway now dressed in another pair of ripped shorts and a T, tags outlined underneath. He watched as Juno unsuccessfully cracked eggs for breakfast while he contemplated how to tell her of the delay in front of others. She was at the counter with some of his cousins dressed in another pair of pants and plain shirt, hair pulled up out of her face.

"Good news _bella_," James told her with a grin. "I just got off the phone with Anderson."

She whipped around dropping an egg in the bowl she was working over and gave him a horrified look that she quickly masked and replaced it with a strained smile. She thought he was blowing their cover and he chuckled at her mini panic.

Keeping her smile in place she said through clenched teeth, "James, I thought you couldn't talk about your work, being classified and all."

She glanced to the other women in the room who were now quiet. They were blatantly obvious as to where their attention went.

"Oh I can talk about this. Anderson said there was an issue with the new addition to the training sector so he thought it would be best to let all the instructors and students take a couple more days off."

She looked at him, processing the hidden information in his statement and adjusting to the situation. There was some sort of issue with the security system upgrade and they were going to be delayed two more days than planned. She was ok with that. They wouldn't have to leave at the end of the day and James would be able to spend more time with his family. She would be able to…what exactly? She didn't know what she could do, she didn't bring a swim suit or anything special for the _fiesta _tomorrow…damn it she didn't have enough clothes.

"But I only packed for two days," she informed him.

"It's ok, you can go shopping and pick a couple things up," he easily replied with a smile.  
"Shopping?" one of his cousins asked excitedly.

He looked to his cousin that spoke up and watched her toss her apron on the counter. "Mia I thought you were on a shopping restriction."

"Only for buying things for myself, I can shop for and burn someone else's money all I want," she retorted then began to pull Juno through the kitchen.

"But," Juno tried to protest. She doesn't shop, never really been shopping. She didn't know what to get or how to go about getting what she would need. Usually she would get a new wardrobe once a year as part of the standard military program for officers shopping was never really on her to do list. And the extreme few civilian clothes she did own where bought so long ago she didn't remember how she got them. She did remember it wasn't a pleasant experience. Shopping for clothes was a girly activity and she didn't do girly. Shopping for new weaponry or armor on the other hand she could do.

"No buts, _chica_," Mia interrupted before Juno could protest further. "You're in good hands and you need some new clothes bought by an expert. If I have to look at another pair of your long pants and shapeless shirts in this hot weather, I'm going to melt for you."

"James," Juno called out for his help in a panic. All she got in response was a laugh. She was going to kill him.

Juno stood in front of the mirror and took in what Mia, her now favorite Vega cousin, had picked out for her. She looked…feminine and she strangely liked the effect.

Mia had taken her to a mall of all places. A busy, noisy, flamboyant, crowded mall. Children could be heard screaming for unknown reasons. Random shouts of names or bursts of laughter dotted the continuous hum of noise that never receded, even while in the changing room. Teenagers dressed in whatever random fashion took their fancy and seemed to move in aimless packs as parents and the elderly moved out of the way. Giggling girls holding shopping bags and men talking on links or omni tools, ignoring the world around them. It was all oblivious chaos.

Juno found the first couple stores they went to were just as bad as the main halls of the mall. Crowds, screaming children, giggling girls, and unaware talkers, only this time there where obstacles for people to maneuver around. Those obstacles being the displays of clothing that dotted the stores. Only a hand full of outfits where on display and to try them you had to ask for an attendant. Juno really didn't like that practice where if you were even remotely interested in a piece of clothing you had to divulge your size to try a piece on, then get a dirty look when you decided you did not want it.

Mia had tried to get Juno to enjoy the experience to no avail. She would try on the same outfits as Juno, only to look ten times more perfect in it, making Juno want to put hers back. Mia quickly caught on to that particular issue and quit trying on clothes and turned to finding more for Juno to try on. She then tried to compliment Juno on how she looked good in that shade of whatever or that style of something because it accentuated whatever feature she picked. That only succeeded in making Juno body conscious and put back anything that remotely looked good. Mia quickly caught on to that as well.

After the fifth store and a break for real ice cream, Mia was about to give up on finding even a shoe for Juno when Juno's attention was grabbed by a little store that was filled with clothes instead of people. It was bursting with a mix of colors that clashed and blended to make the little shop stand out amongst all the modern solids. The back wall was lined with shoes of all shapes and sizes and the other two were covered in accessories in even more shapes and sizes in every color that was seen on the main floor. The clothes seen in every space imaginable where varied from long skirts to inappropriately short shorts and cover all tops that looked like they could flap in the wind to skin tight almost nothing strings. Not a single thing in the shop looked modern or the norm and Juno was intrigued.

Mia instantly saw Juno's attention had been captured by the little store and looked up. The sign read in an old fashion script 'Vintage Vinny's' and was lit up in an inviting purple. Not what Mia would pick out but if Juno was interested….

Now standing in front of the mirror Juno was glad of her choice and smiled at Mia who returned the gesture. The few pieces she picked all shaped to her body, accentuating it, rather than the body hugging styles that highlighted every flaw. Each piece was different then the last and had personality that said look at me I'm a person. Each piece somehow made Juno feel sexy, even with a small collection of scars accenting parts of her body. They were mostly faded anyway from applications of medgel and whatever technology Cerberus had used to reconstruct her skin, but still.

Mia looked Juno over as she slowly turned and looked at the back of the outfit she was wearing.

"So Shepard, are you going to wear that one tomorrow night for the _fiesta_," Mia asked after a moment's contemplation.

Juno automatically replied, "Yes, I was thinking…" She trailed off as she realized Mia had used her real name instead of the alias Armstrong. _Shit. _She knew playing dumb with Mia was pointless now so she sighed and asked in frustration.

"When?"

Choosing not to beat around the bush, Mia answered, "I had my suspicions when James called saying he was bringing a girl with him a couple hours before arrival and that he couldn't tell anyone who she was till the two of you got here. When I saw you get out of the vehicle my suspicions grew but without seeing you in a uniform I couldn't be sure. Then when I saw you were practically useless in the kitchen it confirmed everything."

Her faced scrunched up in question, Juno asked, "How did my lack of experience in the kitchen confirm it?"

With a fond little smile Mia told her, "James called a few weeks ago to give _tio_ Emilio a how-are-you. Sometime during the conversation he told _tio_ about your inability to cook and _tio_ told me in return."

"Oh…"

That was all Shepard could produce until she deflated like a balloon with a sign and sat down. Fuck. Their cover had been blown and their so called mission would have to come to an end so the two of them could move to a new secure location. She would have to give up these wonderful clothes for there would be no reason for them now. James would be disappointed in having to leave and _Abuela…_

Mia seemed to know exactly what Juno was thinking and spoke up, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me and no one else listened to James enough to be able to draw the same conclusion I did. Well no one except _tio_ Emilio and he is military so he knows the importance of keeping things quiet."

Juno thought that over. If only Mia and Emilio knew and promised to say nothing then everything should be fine. As long as no one slipped up she could stay and no one would be the wiser. It was a damn long shot but she didn't want to give up this mini vacation for anything. She looked at Mia again.

"Alright, I'm going to trust you with this Mia."

Mia returned Juno's serious tone and replied, "Your trust is not misplaced Juno. I know how to keep a secret when it needs to be kept. Besides what friend would I be if I went and shared every dirty secret I found out?"

Juno smiled at that and Mia smiled in return.

"Good?" Mia asked.

At Juno's nod, Mia motion for her to turn around to undo the dress. They were quiet as the dress was slipped off and returned to a hanger and another outfit was selected to try on.

Breaking the silence Mia brought up another, more serious topic. Or embarrassing topic, depending on who you ask.

"So, you know he's head over heels for you right?" Mia asked as she handed Juno the top that was picked to go with the bottoms on Juno's form.

Juno paused at that. She looked at Mia, top in hand, and knew who she was referring to. When Juno didn't say anything Mia continued.

"Whenever he calls, you are the first and last on his mind." Waving a dismissive hand she exclaimed, "He's always talked about you, even before he was assigned to you. The first few weeks was all about being around his idol, THE Commander Shepard." She motion to Juno to put the top on and she obliged. "But then his tone and view about you changed. You where no longer the hero he talked about and wanted to be like. He started talking about you as a woman that he admired and wanted to be around."

"He talks about me? Frequently?" Juno asked in a soft tone.

"Every time he calls home. And the look he gives you…" Mia trailed of purposely.

Juno couldn't help but ask, "What look?"

Mia smiled and told her in a dreamy voice, "Like you're the air he needs to breath and every breath he takes depends on what you do next. Like you're the only woman in the world that could make him even remotely happy. Like he is in love but he doesn't know it yet."

Juno's breath hitched at those words and her mind began to spin with all the possibilities. Could he care for her like that? Was all the flirting he did with her real? Of course he was attracted to her like any warm blooded man would be, his words not hers, but could it be more than just a male having interest in the closest female? Did she feel the same way? Why didn't he say anything or has she just missed it? Could he possibly care about her enough to call it some sort of love?

All these questions ran through her mind as she slipped on a pair of shoes Mia handed her. Then she began to think too hard and remembered.

Kaiden said he cared about her. He said he loved her too and look what happened. Left her because he couldn't trust her to be her true self. Left her because he couldn't stop for a moment and listen to what she had to say.

Doubts began to douse the hope fluttering in her heart. Experience told her James would leave her if things got serious between them. It would only be a matter of time. Something would come up and he would turn on her for issues of trust, or fidelity, or whatever he came up with, just like Kaiden and the few others before him. Oh what little few they were.

"Hey, hey, hey…." Mia interrupted Juno's thoughts. "I don't know what you are thinking but I know I don't like the look on your face."

Juno looked up to see Mia smiling at her in the mirror. Mia approached her.

"Give him a chance, Juno."

"Mia I…I don't think I can," Juno answered while staring at her hands.

Mia placed her hands on Juno's shoulders and gave her a brief hug. Juno looked up to meet her eyes in the mirror.

"I can't. Not after-"

Mia interrupted her, "Give him a chance. I know my cousin. Normally I wouldn't encourage any fraternizing with him because I know who he is. But he's different with you. I'm not trying to be a romantic here and say he is the one and only but you never know. At the very least think on it….for me."

Juno stood there in silence, thinking on Mia's words. After a moment she hesitantly replied, "Alright, Mia….I'll think on it…for you."

Mia gave her a wide grin in return and gently shook Juno's shoulders.

"Good," Mia exclaimed and started to pick up the cloths throughout the changing room. "Now, you like what you gave on?"

Juno brought her attention to the mirror and looked at the outfit she had on. Simple and modestly sexy was how she would put the look. Deep blue skort with matching flats. A sleeveless plaid top in warm colors that dipped into a V in the front. The skort showed off her tone legs while the top emphasized on her breasts without revealing anything inappropriate. If she looked hard enough she could see one of her scars or two but that was because she was looking for them. Overall she felt like the woman her military attire would never let her be.

She turned to Mia, "I'm keeping it."

"Great," Mia immediately replied. "It says you. Keep it on and help me with the rest of these. We have a few more places to hit before we head back."

Juno frowned, "I thought we found everything I need here?"

Opening the door to the changing room Mia absently answered, "Clothes and shoes yes. But we still need to get you some lingerie."

"What?"

Mia continued as if Juno didn't interrupt. "Besides, we've got to do something about that hair."

Juno stopped and brought a hand up to her hair which was currently in a bun. "What's wrong with my hair?"

Mia didn't answer as she made her way to the counter.

"Mia, what's wrong with my hair?"


	5. Chapter 5 - Lola

**Hey everyone, it's Wednesday. Anyone else hate that damn camel commercial? Anyways, time for my weekly update.**

**Sooooooo…we're going to see some naughtiness here. My first ever attempt at it. Please, please, please tell me what you think. There will also be a fight, Lola, scars, interruptions and …just read it to find out.**

**I'm only playing with Bio-ware's legos.**

* * *

_Eight Weeks Ago_

"Honey, I'm home."

Shepard paused from her cleaning and smiled at the sound of the Lieutenant's voice as he announced his presence in the other room. She hadn't expected him to return tonight after his date with Ms. Something or other. She fully expected him to take advantage of getting some time to his self and not having to babysit her for once.

Oddly, she was glad he came back to babysit her instead of staying with his date. Wait. Why was she glad? She shouldn't be glad. She should feel guilty over taking up so much of his free time when he could be out there meeting the girl of his dreams. He should be out there with some pretty, young, blonde who walked on sticky legs, breathed like a volus, and had a wart the size of a golf ball on her-

Where the hell was this coming from?

"Commander, where are yah?" the Lieutenant called again.

"In here L.T." she called back from her bedroom.

"You decent?"

"Yep, just cleaning."

As she stood on the barrowed dining chair she heard footsteps make their way across the other room to her bed room door. She couldn't see him with her back to the door so when they stopped she wasn't able to predict the low whistle he gave her.

"You call that decent?" he asked after taking her in. "Baggy shirt, boxers, bare feet, messy pony tail."

Shepard scoffed at him. "What are you talking about?"

"There's nothing sexier than a woman in comfortable cloths, on top of a chair, cleaning a shelf she's too short to reach. The things that image does to me. I don't think I'll be able to think of anything else. You being domestic"

Reaching up a little higher, Shepard went for the top of the book case she was dusting, "You're just picking on me cause you didn't get to go home with your date tonight."

From the sounds of shoes scuffing on carpet and the dipping of her bed she pictured the Lieutenant walking to her bed to sit down. Her thoughts where confirmed when he sighed from the direction of her bed.

Wearily he said, "Commander, I told you it wasn't a date. I owed an old buddy of mine a favor and he needed a wing man for his girl and her friend."

"Did she breathe like a volus?"

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Never mind. Anyways, you're not supposed to be calling me commander any more, remember."

"I'll stop calling you commander when you stop calling me Lieutenant or any variation of that," he countered.

She could tell he got up and approached her by the movement of his voice as he talked. He was right. She should probably be calling him by his name; she just wasn't use to calling him anything else.

"Fine, _Vega_. What are you doing here," she asked with emphasis on his name to show she was complying.

"Wow, Shepard. I never thought I would live to see the day."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled in response.

She could feel his eyes on her body as she stood on her toes to reach the back of the shelf.

"See something you like?" she suggestively asked.

"Always, _bella_, always, but ah….should you be doing that on that injured ankle?"

Great, now he was being her nursemaid. Tossing the used rag aside she turned on the chair to rebuttal his question.

"I fall from twisting my ankle once and now you're going to treat me like an invalid. Vega, I'm –"

She trailed off from her annoyance once she saw him for the first time that evening. He was in his full dress uniform and he was filling it out quite well. The dark jacket fit him to form, showing off the wide expanse of his shoulders making him look very domineering. His blue pants where perfectly creased and the flash of a white hat was at his side drawing attention to his hands which seemed much bigger than usual. He was clean shaven compared to his ever present day old growth of beard and his hair looked freshly trimmed. He looked damn fine in uniform to the point where if she wasn't use to military uniforms and could school her reactions like a pro, she would be drooling right about now. It didn't help that he was close enough for her to feel his body heat come off him in waves.

He returned her earlier words. "See something you like?"

Playing her momentary distraction off she reached out and brushed non-existent lint from his shoulder she answered, "You clean up nice."

"Uh-huh."

He looked her over once more from head to toe. His gaze lingered a time or two until he stopped at her ankle. Suddenly he thrust his hat in to her hands and looped an arm under her knees to pick her up in his arms.

She squealed from the sudden movement and demanded, "What are you doing?" as he headed out of the room.

"You're an invalid, remember? You can't be walking to the couch on that injured ankle."

She growled out in frustration and tossed his hat on a passing table.

Dropping her on the coach so she would bounce, he went to turn on the monitor and bring up the movie selection.

"We watching episode 3?" she asked after seeing him scroll to the S's.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't call me that," she warned him as he took his jacket off and arranged it on a chair.

They settled in together on the couch. His arm draped the back cushion and she relaxed against him as the yellow lettering began to scroll up the screen. As they watched the movie she would ask a question here or there and he would answer without revealing the plot. She would comment about how crappy the movie production technology was and he would laugh at her annoyance. Near the end when the main heroine died, Vega had to hand Shepard a tissue to take care of whatever landed in her eye.

* * *

_Present Day_

James saw his cousin's vehicle arrive a little while ago but was unable great them. His team was down 5 to 1 and avoiding a complete slaughter seemed more attainable than a victory.

"Jimmy" one of his team mates called and passed him the black and white ball from across the field. In control of the ball, James ran it down the field towards the other goal, bypassing two mid-fieldsmen on his way. _Infierno_. His cousin Ricardo was coming at him from his 10 o'clock and that fucker played professionally. There was no way he would be able to out maneuver Ricardo head on. Spotting another cousin to the right, James made a pass just as Ricardo barreled into him.

"Rico, _maldita sea_, what are you doing?" James yelled at his cousin from the ground clasping his now bleeding nose. Apparently it had become acquainted with the side of his cousin's head, who now stood over him with a grin.

As James got back to his feet Ricardo answered, "Getting pay back from last time, _primo_."

"Oh, come on, that was five years ago," James exclaimed in exasperation, using the hem of his shirt to wipe at the blood.

"Doesn't change the fact I missed half a season from the broken foot you gave me."

James looked up in disbelief. "You took that bet fair and square. It's not my fault you landed wrong."

"Not how I remember it." Ricardo challenged, getting into James' face.

_ "Hey Abuela," _Mia excitedly called to Abuela as she carried some of Juno's bags through the door_._ She set them down and gave Abuela a hug before continuing. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Oh, Mia, I don't need another gift," the older woman said absently.

Mia laughed and looked at the woman who just entered the room.

"I'll think you'll like this one Abuela," Mia said.

Abuela looked up and spotted Juno standing by the door and gasped, "Oh, _mi chica_. You look…" She went over to Juno, grasped her hand and looked at her from head to toe.

"Jimmy isn't going to know what hit him," Mia finished for Abuela with giddy excitement.

Juno blushed at Mia's statement knowing she secretly wanted to see what James would think of her new look. Not all of it of course, there were some things that Mia had talk her into doing without knowing what it would be like and Juno definitely didn't want anyone to see. Let's just say she never wanted to see wax again.

After finding the new clothes that actually intrigued Juno, Mia had dragged Juno to a salon where they proceeded to go through a torturous process of being girly. Plucking and trimming, soaking and polishing, teasing and styling. It just plain sucked. Ok, maybe the massage could be a repeat sometime in the future and she like the new color of her nails but the rest could be put on her been there done that list.

She was about to discourage the other women from any further discussion about James when people began to shout out front. It sounded like a fight had broken out and various family members where either trying to break it up or cheer the contenders on. Juno went to the window to see what was going on when Mia cursed.

"Those two don't know when to quit."

"Who?" Juno asked as she followed Mia towards the door.

"Ricardo and James," Mia angrily replied. "When they were little they began a game of dares when one got hurt. The following family reunion they fought over who was at fault and the one after that they resolved their differences by doing dares again."

Juno crossed the lawn, hot on Mia's heels. "Why would they do that?"

Scoffing Mia replied, "Cause they're stupido, that's why."

As they approached the small crowd of mostly men Mia moved in and started yelling at the two rolling on the ground like children. Juno could see James giving who she could only assume was Ricardo a head lock. After taking a moment to assess the position James held she concluded that he wasn't going for pain but submission while Ricardo tried to use his elbows to jab at James' ribs. They were dirty and sweaty as they gathered up grass stains and smeared blood from what looked like James' nose.

When Ricardo adjusted his head to bit the arm wrapped round his head Juno decided to break up this pointless pissing contest. Pushing past various cheering individuals she pulled on her military rank and demanded attention.

"James."

* * *

When James heard his named barked like an order he stilled and looked up at the sight of an angel. Her hair was down around her shoulders, freely drifting in the slight breeze as it shined in the sun, something he never noticed before. Her long legs seemed to gleam and were on display under a blue mini skirt and her top made her breasts stand out and reveal a good amount of skin he wasn't use to seeing. And her nails were painted a pale pink, something he really wasn't use to seeing. Something was different. She was even more beautiful than usual standing there in the sun, staring him down like an insubordinate.

That's when it hit him. Mia had done the impossible and gave Juno a makeover. Holy shit.

It wasn't until an elbow flew out of nowhere that he realized Ricardo had maneuvered out of his lax hold and struck for the winning blow between the two of them.

Now sitting on the deck to the cabin he and Juno were using, he held an ice pack to his eye as Juno visually reamed him out with just a glare. He wasn't going to say anything about what happened with his cousin. There was no reason. He didn't' do anything wrong and they both walked away in one piece….sorta. He was just going to stare her down in return and wait for her to back down.

She narrowed her eyes just a bit and he cursed.

"I'm sorry Bella. It's something Rico and I do every time we get together. It's all fun and games really. No harm done."

She didn't look convinced, "Tell that to your bloody nose."

"Juno I-"

"Aunt Lola," a small voice interrupted them and James looked down to see the 3 year old daughter of his best friend from childhood holding her arms up to be picked up by Juno. "Lola, up, up." She was said urgently.

Juno looked panicked as the little girl raised her arms up higher. If he wasn't already on her bad side he would have loved to watch her muddle her way through this situation but decided better of it. He knew she wasn't comfortable around small children so he bailed her out.

Reaching out to the little girl and plopping her in his lap he cooed to her, "No, no Isabella, that's not Aunt Lola. That's Juno."

The little girl looked up at him then back at Juno, "Lola, Lola." She wiggled to get down and ran off chanting the name Lola.

Watching Isabella scamper off Juno asked, "Who's Lola?"

James looked at her and smiled. "My best friend's sister growing up." He then gave her one those familiar looks that told her he was hitting his shameless flirting side, "Older sister. Tough. Hot….Like you."

"Right," she drew out in a disbelieving tone, hoping he didn't see her blush.

She had no clue how serious he was. He never really thought about it until now but she was just like Lola, his first crush as a kid. The two looked nothing alike of course but they both stood their ground and didn't take any shit from anyone. He like women like that.

At the moment though Juno had something about her no other woman before her had. He couldn't place it but he did know one thing, she was damn hot in that outfit. Never thought he would see her in a skirt. She seemed to be glowing with all that skin he barely got to see exposed to the sun.

A light bulb went on in his head as he came up with his new name for the woman of his dreams. Where the hell that come from? She wasn't the woman of his dreams. She was sexy as hell yes, and smart, fun to be around, great at cards, took his stupidity in stride. Who was he kidding; he knew where it came from. He just needed to stop letting his mind think that way.

"So, Lola," he said bringing himself back on track. "You going to patch me up or what?"

She propped a hand on her hip, "Lola, huh?"

He shrugged and looked into her eyes, grabbing her attention as he said softly, "You kinda look like a Lola."

Juno smiled at that and chuckled, "You're cute, so I'll let you get away with that….for now."

"That's it," he told her. "Now you made me blush."

She scoffed at him and playfully shoved his shoulder, making him laugh then wince in pain as his face protested.

Sighing she took his hand in hers. "Come on. I got some MedGel in my bag upstairs."

He obediently followed her through the cabin and up the stairs to the room they shared. He noted that she never let go of his hand on the way up which made him reluctant to let go when she commanded him to sit down on the bed. But his disappointment was soon replaced as he watched her in slow motion bend over her bag in search of the promised MedGel.

His eyes instantly widened at the view he was getting. He shouldn't be looking, he knew he shouldn't, but with her being right there he just had to. That skirt of hers was up so high that if he just lean that way just a bit more he could see…

"Oh come on," he complained.

She stood up, gel in hand, and sported his second favorite look. "What?" she asked as she approached him.

"You're wearing a skort," he accused.

"So?"

"Because…you…I…" he didn't know what to say without revealing what he was just doing so he just moaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Never mind, Lola."

She looked at him, confusion still on her face. Shrugging it off she reached for the damp towel she grabbed on their way up when realization hit her. Slowly turning back around she narrowed her eyes at him and gave him her best death glare.

_Merda. _She knew, now he was fucked. As she came up to him he braced for whatever she was about to dish out when she reached up with her thumb and pressed on the small cut above his eye.

"Ow, Juno, stop," he protested. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry." She pulled back at his apology and prepped the towel.

She gently stroked his face, removing the dried blood, watching him wince and grimace as she carefully blotted and whipped at the couple cuts. Except for the mild complaints he remained silent as she cleaned him up. She told him to keep his mouth closed as she attended to the nose bleed and small cut on his lip. A few more scars on his face to add to the collection he already had. These new ones would most likely be undetectable with the application of Med Gel so early.

She found that she didn't seem to mind the idea of more scars on his face. The ones already there just gave him character and had some story behind them. The thin scrapes on his jaw told her his face was dragged across some rough surface. The one under his eye told her he was in a fight where the other guy was able to get a hit in. The long one that cut across his nose over his cheek then made a brief hook, along with the one the stretched to his lower lip, reminded her of all the battle scars she had seen over the years on countless faces.

That last scar that touched his lip had her thinking about them as she applied the MedGel to his face. She began to wonder how he kissed. He probably was the type that went full on mouth to mouth, taking complete control of the situation. Ravishing her mouth with his lips then plundering with his tongue.

Those damn romance novels where corrupting her way of thinking if she was using words like 'ravishing' and 'plundering' to describe a kiss. When she got back she was going to toss them out. When James wasn't looking that is.

"What are you thinking, Lola?" he asked softly when her finger lingered on the cut on his lip. Her focus came back as he smoothed her hair behind an ear and looked at her with concern.

God she wanted to kiss him right now. He was so close to her and she was tingling with want from her thoughts. The look of caring in his sharp eyes that seemed to express so much emotion in one moment didn't help with her situation. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. Desire began to race through her entire body as her mind wouldn't veer off its current course. Now she had to kiss him. To appease her curiosity and to get this first time tension out of the way.

"James," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember the conversation from yesterday?"

His brows scrunched as he asked, "The one about my evil cousin?"

She nodded, "And how we should kiss so we could tell people the truth if they asked."

His eyes flared and he took in a deep breath as he realized where she was going with this. His body seemed to tighten as his thoughts zeroed in on kissing her. It was taking over and there was nothing he could do abort the situation. But just in case he wasn't going to pursue anything without making sure that is what Juno was asking for.

"What about the kiss?" he asked in a now husky voice.

She licked her lips again and brought in a shuttered breath as her eyes lingered on his lips. She hesitated then whispered, "I think we should kiss…now."

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his dark eyes watching for any sign of her jesting like before. His feet seemed to shift on their own accord to give her the ability to step between his knees. She reached out and touched his forearm and trailed her hand up along his warm skin. The muscles under her touch flexed as he reached up to cup her jaw. His thumb brushed along her bottom lip causing her breath to hitch.

He slowly pressed his legs to hers, preventing her from backing out. His thighs instantly began to burn from the contact and fire shot through his groin. Her cheeks flushed from the touch and her eyes closed completely, lost in the feeling of the moment. Cupping her face with both hands, James pulled her closer and brought his lips to hers.

She was just as sweet and just as soft as his countless imaginings predicted. He was in heaven again and he wanted to prolong this moment with her forever but he didn't.

Pulling back he opened his eyes to meet her unfocused green ones, already addicted to her lips and dealing with withdrawal.

Juno was in a daze. The kiss was to short but had a devastating effect like her first kiss at 15. She expected his lips to be hard and demanding but they turned out to be soft, gentile. Wanting more she circled his neck with her hands and went back in. Her need for more was matched by his and they met in the middle.

Their kiss was just as sweet and gentle as the first but this time they knew what to expect. His arms enclosed around her and pulled her against him till her breasts where flush against his chest. Their breathing became heavy and their lips parted so tongues could meet. Tongues and hands caressed and stroked where they could as urgency began to build.

_Dios_ she was kissing him, for real. This wasn't a dream, it was fucking real and he wanted more. His hands stroked down her back, pausing at the small of her back the dipping down to grasp her bottom. She clung to him as their kiss deepened, moaned into his mouth when he squeezed her. Her legs began to quiver and her desire climbed faster then she thought possible. She needed contact where she ach the most but couldn't move the way she needed with her legs trapped between his.

Not wanting to, James broke their kiss once more. Remaining in place they stared into each other's eyes. They staid like that for what seemed hours, breathing heavily, not daring to move until he interrupted the silence.

"Will that work for a first kiss?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

He still didn't know if she was yanking his chain or not when it came to them and what she wanted. So he was trying to save his ass in this situation by playing off what they just shared was to keep up appearances. He would follow her decision in this. If she wanted to treated the kiss as part of the mission or if she wanted to pursue this attraction, and there was no doubt about the attraction for each other. Unfortunately she gave no reaction either way, leaving him uncertain which way to go. He was about to say something, anything to prompt a response from her when she finally answered.

"I don't think I was paying attention," she breathed. "I think we need to try that again."

He didn't need to be told twice. Their lips connected once more, need and desire already spiked. This time they weren't gentile, this time they didn't caress. This time they grabbed, demanded, and plunged into each other like they were dying and the other was eternal life.

Juno maneuvered a leg up and over to straddle his hip, finally creating some friction where she needed it. But it wasn't enough and she moaned in frustration. James took the hint and drew her other leg up so she could completely straddle him. His hands returned to her back side and pulled her forward. When her heated core connected with his achingly confined shaft he groaned from the long awaited pleasure shooting through his loins.

She needed to touch skin. She wanted skin on skin contact and began to pull at his shirt. Pulling back, James remove his shirt in record time and dove back in to seal their lips once more. His hands crept under her top, reaching for every inch of skin he could touch. Hips began to slowly grind against one another, causing more pleasure to shoot through their bodies.

His lips left hers to trail over her cheek, ear, and then traveled down her neck, nipping and licking as he went. He snaked a hand out and around to dip down the front of her top and cupped a hidden breast. She gasped and arched her back as he completely bypassed her bra to fill his palm, her nipple teasing his palm.

Her hips ground harder, causing more sweet friction between them, fueling the fire they were consumed by. They found each other's lips again and she dueled for dominance, biting his bottom lip with her teeth.

Inching his hand further under the material confining her, he molded her breast while pinching the taut nipple. Gasping from the feel of his callused hand on her breast, Juno reveled in the sensations he was giving her. Clutching his shoulders, back, anything she could get a hold of as he achingly administered to her nipple.

Lost in the moment James pulled the fabric of her bra and top aside and revealed the breast he had been playing with. Licking his lips he lowered his head to take the dusky tip in his mouth.

"Juno you in there?"

They both froze at the sound of Mia's voice outside the door. Neither of them heard her coming down the hall which attested to how distracted they were.

She leaned back to look at him, shocked evident on her face. She was in awe at how far they had gone without stopping to thinking about what they were doing.

"Juno?"

Mia's voice prompted Juno to reply. "Yes," her voice was husky and cracked so she cleared her throat. "Yes, Mia?"

"Abuela sent me to fetch you for the kitchen."

Juno groaned in frustration and plopped her forehead onto James' chest. She didn't like the kitchen. She sucked at anything that was remotely related to cooking and for some reason Abuela thought more time in the kitchen would teach Juno something.

She called out, "Could you tell her I'll be there in a few minutes?"

"Sure."

They both listened to Mia's retreat as Juno stood up and straightened her appearance. James watched her fuss with her hair as he shrugged his shirt back on. He wanted to say something to her, anything, but she beat him to the punch.

"I'll see you later?"

He slowly nodded and watched her leave the room. As soon as the door clicked shut he immediately collapsed back on the bed and covered his face with his hands.

What the hell was he doing?

* * *

**So…What you think?**


	6. Chapter 6 - Want

**New A/N: I haven't liked how this chapter ends so I went back and redid it. I am also adjusting Chapter 7 to flow with it.**

**Few things:**

**1-****First - Thank you ****Mordinette**** for the medi-gel correction from last chapter. I will admit I didn't double check before I used it.**

**2-****Second - Yay more reviews. Reviews make me happy and keep this story going.**

**3-****Third - I have writer's block. I know where I want to take chapter 8 but I have no idea how to proceed with chapter 7. I also know what I would like to do for chapter 9 and possibly 10 but the couple chapters after that I'm not quite sure what I want to do. But the chapters after that I have it all laid out. Oh and the chapters after those I have an idea but nothing written in stone. Did I mention this is going to be a long story? I like novels and long stories that can keep you interested till the end which is what I hope to do here. Oh yeah back to my original thought. I need some ideas so feed them to me please. PM or via review, up to you.**

**4-****Fourth - I'll shut up now.**

**As I've said before, I'm using someone else's legos and that someone is bio-ware.**

* * *

_Three Years Ago_

What was she doing kissing him?

Shepard had just left the Normandy on her way to some damn club and all she could think about was that damn kiss with Kaiden. She was down by the lockers and he had approached her to talk about something or other. They were getting along just fine when he helped her get up from her position on the floor. He had yanked her towards him, bringing their bodies closer than they have ever been before. Breaching her personal space. He hadn't let her go but instead leaned in and kissed her.

She had known he had liked her but thought he was a by the book guy and wouldn't break the rules. Apparently not. She wasn't complaining about the kiss, it was….nice, and she wasn't complaining about Kaiden, he was….nice too. She just didn't really think of him that way. Don't get her wrong she thought he was nice, smart, a good soldier…..nice. If she was a different person, chosen a different carrier, she would have definitely considered him. But she wasn't.

Maybe she should give him a chance though. It's not like there where men lining up outside her door or anything. And it's not like she was in a position to actively pursue someone. Yes, she would give him a chance. He was a nice guy after all and if he was willing to try then she could too. There were the rules on fraternizing they would be ignoring but beyond that she guessed the next time Kaiden made an advance on her she wouldn't be so relieved for an interruption.

She guessed.

* * *

Present Day

After that kiss. That hot, passionate kiss. That delicious kiss that wouldn't leave either of their minds for the rest of the day. After that kiss that shattered any previous platonic feelings or thoughts about each other, they both seemed to unintentionally avoid one another.

Juno elected to stay in the kitchen as much as possible, burning vegetables, over sweetening desserts, and making a blender explode. How she was ever able to accomplish that amazing feet she didn't know. Once she successfully covered the corner of the kitchen she was working at with whatever was in the blender, Abuela told her to bring the various dishes outside to the tables the ravenous group used during meals. She could do that, all she had to do was carry things.

But once she accomplished that task there was nothing else for her to do. Busying herself with meaningless activities kept her mind focused but now she had nothing to keep thoughts of those lips away. Those surprisingly soft, strong lips. And those hands caressing her, grasped her bottom, pulling her closer. Those hands that held her and cupped her breast with such reverence. When his fingers began to rub her –

_Stop it Juno._ She inwardly berated herself then looked around to see if anyone was watching her.

Running a hand through her hair Juno looked up at the fading light and the surrounding activities. Beyond all the laughing, playing, music, games, and camaraderie she would dearly love to feel a part of, there lay the peaceful trees and hills she never really had a chance to experience. She figured now was a good a time as any to explore the untouched patch of nature modern metallic cities seemed to have missed in their need to plow through unused land.

Making up her mind, Juno headed away from the cabins and made her way up a hill into the trees, taking in the beauty. Who was she kidding? She had an ulterior motive for walking away from the disorder before dinner. She needed to finally think on what happened with James.

Two days ago she would never of have kissed him or even think about becoming any form of intimate with him. Well maybe in her dreams. On a very lonely night. With some help of liquid encouragement. Besides the few fantasies that, let's be honest, any woman in their right mind would indulge in, he was her friend, guard, and companion. But despite that somehow in the past 24 hours he had become a man to notice, a man to want. Why now of all times did her body decide to come alive when he was around when it never had before? Or had it?

She hadn't considered any man since, well Kaiden and that turned out to be a fiasco. When he shut her out like that and wouldn't even consider listening to her she gave up trying to have any relationship with another. And she was doing well until she kissed James.

James.

Of all people, why did he awake something inside her that no other man seemed to even touch on? In the past few relationships she had, she was pursued and she would reluctantly open up to whomever she was with. It always ended badly for her even though she didn't want the relationship to begin with. With James though it seemed different, was different.

She actually wanted to try something with him, a first for her. She assumed he wanted something with her as well but with her inexperience she couldn't tell. Well she could tell he definitely would be willing to participate in a physical relationship but it was the emotional part she didn't know about. Maybe she should put a stop to what they were doing and back out before things got complicated and she became emotionally involved. She should tell him the kiss was a mistake and it shouldn't be repeated. Besides there was the damn Alliance with all that stupidity and the fact that she was technically a prisoner under James' care.

Shoulders back in determination, Juno continued her impromptu hike, her mind made up.

* * *

Across the main field that everyone seemed to use for anything and everything, James watched Juno disappear into the trees. He had been avoiding her since the kiss in their room. The kiss that had rocked his world like none had before. The kiss that remained in his mind and wouldn't leave him alone. He had to find meaningless activities to hopefully alleviate the images and sensations running through his head. Her clutching fingers, her moans, the heat of her body, the feel of her breast in his hand. Nothing worked.

Earlier he had chosen to exercise the images out of his mind, changing into clothes more suited for what he had in mind. He needed to keep up his routine anyways, even if he was on vacation-assignment, whatever. Without access to equipment he had to improvise. He used a low tree branch for his usual pull ups and pushups where easy enough. Some of the younger kids seemed to like the idea of him exercising and decided to either help or attempt to copy what he was doing. Knowing the basic crunch or sit up would take him forever he returned to the branch and proceeded to do a series of upside down versions of them. That got some of the older kids interested. It was working, his mind was clearing and he was actually able to think. Until he spotted Juno heading away from the cabins.

The sight of her brought everything that happened in that room back to life. _Merda _he shouldn't have kissed her. It made things too complicated but he couldn't seem to help himself. She was right there and she was willing, even instigated it and he couldn't stop to save his life. No, he needed to stop what they started before it went too far and someone got hurt. He could tell she was more than likely willing for a physical relationship, _dios_ help him he was to, but the emotional aspect he would be investing he couldn't risk. It was best they stayed as friends, for the both of them.

Even after his personal pep talk he found himself jogging after her. The entire way he told himself it was because he was fulfilling his assignment of guarding and protecting her.

* * *

Damn it. She could feel the reason for her frustration following her. Why did he have to do this to her? Oh yeah, they were technically on assignment. Well, he was, not her.

She fucking hated this. She wished the council would listen to her, she wished Alliance command would listen to her, she wished the reapers didn't exist, she wished….she wished she had met James in a different situation, that he wasn't her guard, that she had the courage to, to….what? She was going nowhere with these stupid, pointless thoughts. Hadn't she made up her mind to stay away from him?

He was still following her, closer now but not close enough to talk without raising their voices. Deciding she didn't want to talk she started to jog. Hearing him curse, she smirked to herself and picked up the pace to a basic run and turned uphill. She chuckled as he cursed again and began to breathe heavily from the sudden exertion. He was just catching up to her when she picked up her pace again and sprinted through the woods. Going up and down, dodging obstacles, and taking sharp turns around trees.

"Fuck Juno." James called in frustration. "What the hell are you doing?"

Juno laughed and continued her directionless path until she reached the edge of the forest where she stopped to catch her breath. The scene before her was beyond anything she had seen before on earth. A slopping meadow rolled away from her, disappearing into a continuation of the forest she just walked out of. To the left she could see a couple of the cabins peeking out from the trees and the lake they were on, stretching out between the hills and small mountains. In the distance to the right she could see snowcapped mountains standing vigil over everything before her. But what impressed her most was the setting sun lighting a fire to the gorgeous land before her, bathing everything in oranges and reds.

As she gazed at the peacefulness of what she found she barley registered James stop behind her and catch his breath from the spontaneous run.

"It's beautiful," she whispered after a time.

"It is," James replied softly as he took a step closer to her, perhaps to close, but he couldn't be bothered enough to care at the moment.

They stood there, bodies not quiet touching. Both captivated by the setting sun.

"I can navigate a ship, get a squad to an LZ in a place I've never been before, tell you which planet belongs to which system, but for the life of me I can't tell you a thing about the geography of Earth."

James looked down at her in confusion, "You don't know Earth geography?"

"Nope, lived in a city when I was younger, did some stupid things, including skipping school. Day I turned 18 I joined the Alliance, spent little time on Earth after that," she offered as an explanation.

"Well, let me tell you a little about what we're looking at," he offered. "We are currently on the continent known as North America."

She smiled and elbowed him, "I know the basics, James. Continents, most of the oceans, major countries." She leaned back into him and felt him tense from the contact then instantly relaxed. Indicating with her chin she requested, "Tell me about this area."

James took a moment to take in the feel of her leaning against him. He could smell the fruity scent of her hair and the accompanying light vanilla from her skin. He was lost again.

"James," Juno inquired when he didn't respond.

"Yeah….let's see." He began to talk about the land marks around them. The Mountains, the unseen river that fed the lake, the direction of the nearest major city, the forest that surrounded them. He pointed over her shoulder to show her what he was talking about, wrapping his other arm around her waist to hold her still. He talked while she asked questions and had them answered in return, standing together, her back to his front. As the conversation tapered off James' arms found themselves wrapped around her body, his hands entwined with hers. They stayed there, absorbed by the waning sunset, content with the silence that settled over them.

When the sun finally disappeared she turned her head to look up at him. Looking up at his strong jaw covered in that that stubble that never went away, she whispered his name. When he looked down at her, faces so close, Juno forgot all the reasons why she was going to stay away from him. In that instant he was just a man and she a woman. Neither of them spoke, they didn't need to. To her this was the most perfect moment of her long and screwed up life. There was only one thing that could make it even more perfect and he was moving in to give it to her.

Just his mouth was to touch her she whispered, "Wait."

_Dios_ she wanted to stop. Why? He was about to kiss her for the second time and there was nothing to interrupt them this time. It was going to be perfect. He was going to claim her mouth within a inch of her life then caress her until she made those same noises she made in the bedroom. And when she started pleading for he would give it to her. But she said wait before he could do any of that.

With his heart clenching he pulled back from her to meet her gaze.

"We can't, James," she said carefully. He took a step back looked away, something inside hurting for a reason he didn't want to know. "You know the reasons why we can't."

He nodded, "Yeah, I know." Stepping back he randomly kicked at something in the dark and growled in frustration.

"Its alright James. In two days we will be back at the base and you'll be able to find some girl."

She thought his actions were due to pent up lust and he just wanted to relieve the tension with her. It was true. He wanted to relieve the tension with her, but only her.

_I only want you Juno._ He thought while trying to convey those very thoughts through the look he was now giving her.

Juno involuntarily shivered at the look he was giving her. What it meant she didn't know and she didn't know how to begin to interpret it correctly. What she would give to know what he was thinking right now. But instead she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, lingering longer than intended. Eventually she pulled away and the two of them made their way back to the cabins

As they walked, neither talked, leaving room for uncomfortable silence and both the ability to get lost in their own minds. The 'what ifs', 'if onlys', and 'whys' ran circles and the silence stretch on until Juno wanted to scream her frustrations to the universe. She picked up the pace, wanting to get back to the noise of the people she barely knew in hopes of distracting herself.

James could feel her emotions rolling off her in waves. If she was paying attention she could probably feel the waves coming off him as well, but wasn't. Wanting to lighten things up in hopes of getting their relationship back to where it was before they actually kissed he tried to think of anything to say.

"I love the way your ass looks when you're marching like your heading into battle."

_Maldita sea_. Too much.

She stopped and realized she was indeed marching as if heading into battle. And hadn't they just made some sort of agreement a moment ago?

Looking back at him she asked, "Seriously?"

"What?" he innocently asked. "I'm going to flirt. Especially when there is a _muy hermosa_ woman walking so sexy in front of me. That's who I am, Lola."

Too much again. He was blowing it.

"Just come on, James. We already missed dinner," she said while taking his hand and towing him along.

He sighed in relief.

* * *

When they arrived back they barely had time to breath when Juno was ushered away by Abuela to go eat. The whole area was lit up with strings of light and soft music filled the night as children began to nod off, the young adults joked around, and couples relaxed. James laughed at Juno's look of reluctance when she was sat down at a table and was served an over loaded plate of food, Abuela standing vigil by her side to make sure every bit was consumed.

James turned when _tio _Emilio waved him over to a vacant tree and went to greet his_ tio_ who was more of a father to him than anything else. He'd been looking forward to spend some time with Emilio since he hadn't had a chance to do so since arriving. What he didn't expect was to be smacked outside the head as soon as he got in arms reach of Emilio.

"Ah, _tio, por que?_" James asked while rubbing the pain away.

"_Niño idiota," _Emilio growled.

"What I do?"

"I thought you were going to stay away from her? That's what you told me when you got here and that is not what I'm seeing," Emilio asked.

"But _tio_ we aren't doing anything."

Emilio went to hit James outside his head again only to be blocked. Predicting James' move, Emilio immediately brought his other hand to connect with James' head.

"_Maldito_, _tio._ Stop."

"The two of you where gone for over an hour, alone. What the hell am I suppose to think when my womanizing nephew goes off with a woman? You make a pinata or something? Pick flowers? Bake cookies?" Emilio accused angrily.

"No tio…Look we kissed," James admitted and dodged the next hit. "_Tio_ hear me out."

"I warned you not to do this to Abuela. You know she's already making plans to make baby blankets when she gets back home?"

James froze at that and couldn't help but imagine Juno holding a dark haired little girl with her eyes and his complexion, wrapped in a blanket lovingly made by Abuela. His heart clenched at the image in his mind. He wanted that. To have family and settle down. He wanted to come home after a long day and be greeted with enthusiasm from his own children and a smiling wife with green eyes. He wanted to be needed to hang lights, fix leaks, kiss boo-boos, and take out the trash. He wanted it all, the good and the bad. But he wanted it with Juno.

_Basta, James. She doesn't want you. It can't happen._

It could never happen.

Even if the situation for both of them were different he didn't deserve this new, unattainable dream. Especially after what happened at….never mind, he wasn't going there.

"Are you even listening to me?" Emilio's question brought James back to the conversation at hand.

James watched the activity around him without focusing and droned out a reply. "_Si, tio._ Alliance, who she is, careers, Abuela, regulations, honor, who I am, so on and so forth." He turned to his uncle with all seriousness. "I know _tio_. I get it. I understand… we understand."

Emilio felt a shift in his nephew and realized James was coming to terms with the situation. He looked defeated and resigned to what was happening, could never happen again. The last time Emilio saw James look like that his mother, Emilio's sister, was being lowered into the ground and they all were dressed in black.

Sensing he needed to lighten up on his nephew Emilio asked, "What happened?"

James' attention went back to the tables he last saw Juno at and spotted her in the same spot as earlier.

"It doesn't matter. She doesn't want a relationship with me."

Emilio didn't miss the fact James didn't say we but Emilio didn't say a thing as he clapped his nephew's shoulder in a manly form of comfort then moved on.

James stood there watching Juno from a distance. Wanting what he didn't deserve and knew without a doubt he could never have.


	7. Chapter 7 - Normal

**New New A/N: Ok…..I'm backing up and slowing down. I've been updating at a chapter a week because I thought I could handle it but it turns out I can't. The first few chapters I've already had set up and all I had to do is go through them one more time then let them loose. I was happy with those. Now I'm creating as I go and they are not coming out as well as I would like, thus my update of Ch 6 and now the double update of Ch 7. So here we go, again. **

**New A/N: I revamped a bit of this chapter to go with my revamping of the end of the last chapter. Next chapter is coming along nicely and should be on time. _Knock on wood._  
**

**So I got this chapter put together eating peach salsa on scoops, drinking raspberry tea, and watching Show Girls. No idea how that combo helped me out here but I hope you like it.**

**I got some ideas from you unfortunately they don't quite fit for me yet. But I am definitely thinking about using them in the future. Thank you. Also I am not the best at replying to reviews. For some reason I just don't really do it, but trust me, I read every one of them and don't just toss them over my shoulder. Now if you PM me I reply so if you really want to communicate with me, that's the way to go.**

**Don't worry, what happened last chapter won't last that long, if you were wondering**

**This is the last time I'm going to say this cause I think we all get the point by now, so here we go:**

**I own nothing. I'm just borrowing Bio-ware's legos.**

* * *

_Fourteen Weeks Ago_

"Damn Soldier, you stink worse than a verran from the pits."

Shepard clutched her nose and tried to wave a magazine in the air to drive away the stench of three-day-old unwashed man wafting from the LT currently standing in front of her.

Vega was grimy, to put it nicely. He had just returned from a weekend of mandatory field training. His ride back from the field had been delayed by a few hours which robbed him of his time to clean up and put his gear away before having to go on duty.

Now standing before Shepard, gear in hand, he laughed at her reaction and moved to take off his armored boots after dropping his gear by the door.

"Oh hell no, don't you dare take those damn things off with those stink bombs ready to go off," Shepard ordered.

"What do you expect me to do? Stand by the open window 'til my break? I mean I'm all for being on display for your pleasure but I'm a little ripe."

She pondered that and silently admitted he was right. He couldn't stand around doing nothing while he wallowed in his own stench, waiting for his break. But what could he do? Brightening with an idea Shepard turned to Vega, "Take off your armor and clothes."

He paused and looked at her, "I'm sorry. What?"

"You heard me, strip."

"Uuhh, beg pardon ma'am but-"

"Don't call me that Vega," she demanded, then approached him.

_Oh _shit. She wanted him naked. That was a good thing, right? A beautiful, willing woman ready to go, standing right in front of him. _No._ It wasn't a good thing. She was Commander Shepard, savior of the-

_Click_. She had undone a clasp on his armor and was reaching for another one. There was nothing for him to do but panic. Backing up quickly until the wall stopped him from further retreat, Vega blocked her hands from un-doing another clasp.

"Vega, what's your problem?" She demanded after being blocked for the third time. When he blocked her again she snapped, "Fucking stop it Lieutenant." Then added as if undressing him was nothing new. "Call Jimms, you're getting a shower."

_Oh….Wait…What? _"Why am I-"

"Vega just do it."

After some protest, Vega gave in and called Private Jimms in as Shepard succeeded in pulling piece after piece of Vega's armor off and set them on the table. When Jimms arrived, Shepard asked for a set of the Lieutenant's clothes along with a cleaning kit for his armor. Once the Private left and Vega was down to the padding that protected his body from the roughness of the armor, Shepard led him into her private bathroom and started the shower.

"You have one minute to finish stripping and get in that shower before I come in," she informed him then left the small room.

Alone, he proceeded to strip down to his birthday suit and adjusted the water before getting in and pulling the curtain closed. Under the heated spray he lifted an arm and sniffed. "Gah, I do smell like a varren."

Grabbing Shepard's standard military bar of soap he began to scrub the stink off his body. He didn't get very far when the door opened and a draft of cool air washed over the room. Pulling the curtain aside a bit, Vega spotted Shepard placing various items from his own toilet kit by the sink. When her task was done she turned and spotted him looking at her.

"Here," she said handing him his own shampoo.

Taking the bottle from her he watched her cross her arms over her chest and lean against the counter.

Realizing she wasn't going anywhere, he asked, "You just going to stand there?"

Wrinkling her nose at him, she kicked his soiled clothes and padding out the door and answered, "I'm cooped up in these rooms day in and day out with little else to do besides become a vegetable from watching too many vids." She leaned forward to emphasize her next sentence. "You're going to tell me about your training before I go insane from boredom and do something drastic."

He took a moment to asses her stance. She was serious. Oh well. Far be it from him to keep her from listening to his voice while he was washing his balls.

Shrugging and closing the curtain he spoke, "So I get out there and you wouldn't believe what-"

_Present day_

The following morning they woke up simultaneously when a high pitched scream pierced the morning quiet. James rolled off the bed towards the door, pulled out his gun, and aimed it at any potential intruders. A quick glance over his shoulder told him Juno was doing the same but she was crouched down and using the bed as a shield. He should have done that himself. When they realized it was one of the children running down the hall they both relaxed and put their guns away.

Since the both of them were now awake, they decided to get ready for the day and use the small bathroom attached to their room. James took the shower first after successfully arguing the time difference in facility use between the two. That didn't stop her from using the sink to brush her teeth and then interrogate him while waiting for her turn.

"So the big party is today?" Juno asked conversationally after rinsing her mouth out.

Knowing from experience she wouldn't go anywhere until she got what she wanted, he joined her in conversation.

"_Si_. In about an hour or so it will get crazy crowded around here. "

She could do crowds. Crowds were fine to work with. As long as she wasn't cornered into conversation by another random family member, everything would be fine today. Provided that she didn't have alone time with James. Hopefully.

"So what does the crowd entail?" she asked.

"Music and food all day long." He chuckled when she groaned; no doubt from the idea of having to be in the kitchen all day long. "Don't worry. After breakfast we have caterers come in for the day and take care of all the food and clean up."

Exhaling in relief she said, "Oh thank you lord."

"You're welcome, but you don't have to call me lord. Handsome, your grace, hot stuff, _el magnífico uno-_"

"_El magnifico uno?_" she asked, completely butchering the pronunciation.

"The great one."

She narrowed her eyes at the curtain at that. If he wasn't naked in there right now with soap running down his muscular, tan body...his hand caressing his skin, trailing down his stomach lower and lower to carefully cleanse between his legs. Wait. What was she thinking? _Stay on track, Juno. What were you thinking?….oh, yes. _She would have hit him. (

Choosing to ignore him and to get those thoughts out of her head, she continued. "And what else?"

"Games, competitions, dancing, swimming. Basically non-stop activities…and at midnight after dinner some of the uncles put together a fireworks display, the highlight of the day for the kids."

Juno listened to James talk with affection and fond memories as he gave a basic description of what she was to expect. These were things she would have never normally done, never really experienced or enjoyed to her memory. She figured she could give it a try. If they were half as fun as James portrayed them to be, she could try to have fun, for him. She had always won the shooting contests and one-on-one fights others set up during down time. And she could swim even though she hadn't since N7 training. How hard was it to dance anyway?

When the shower cut off, Juno grabbed the towel beside her and passed it to the lone dripping hand sticking out from behind the curtain.

After a minute when the curtain didn't move she asked, "You getting out?"

"Are you?"

"Nope."

Juno smirked when James sighed in frustration and drew the curtain aside. Towel wrapped around his hips, water droplets still clinging to him in various places, James stepped out and glared at her.

"You know you annoy me when you do this right?"

She smiled at him, "Consider it as my form of payback for all the annoying flirting you do with me. Now get out." She pushed him out the door. "Mia is coming soon to help me with my hair. There is no way I can duplicate what the woman at the salon did to it."

"_Dios_, you're such a girl."

"Shut it, Lieutenant."

* * *

Three hours later, neither had seen each other since they woke. Juno had been detained in the kitchens, again, and instead of being released after cleaning up breakfast she was dragged into what she called the gossip circle.

The conversation was the usual drabble .Who saw what or found out the evening before and their various opinions on what should of happened, what will happen, and the real meaning behind what happened. All the useless chatter allowed Juno to think on her morning's conversation with Mia.

Mia had arrived just as Juno was finishing up her shower and immediately began playing dress up.

"Why do I need to do this in my underwear?" Juno asked while sitting on the closed toilet cover. She had been sitting perfectly still, knees pressed together, palms on thighs, as Mia periodically told her to open this, close that, and tilt this way.

"So no makeup gets on your clothes. Open."

Juno opened her eyes and Mia came at her with what looked like a pencil.

"Don't move or I'll poke your eye," Mia warned.

"That's comforting."

Mia chuckled and after a moment of silence said, "_Tio Emilio_ told me what happened last night."

She didn't want to talk about it. After spending all night convincing herself it was all for the better, then acting like nothing happened between her and James this morning, she really didn't want to talk about it. Juno cursed inwardly because Mia knew she didn't want to talk about it but had effectively backed her into a corner. Juno couldn't move to avoid this conversation lest she lose an eye.

Despite her frustration, Juno quietly asked, "And?"

"I understand," Mia started. "I won't go into it but I want you to know I get it. But I so wish the two of you could make it work out. You're what he needs, wants. No, don't scoff at me I'm serious. He needs someone who doesn't take his shit."

Pretending shock, Juno gasped, "Mia, that mouth."

Mia pulled back and looked at her, "Have you heard the mouths around here? You should be surprised I don't curse more often." She moved back in. "Anyways, I meant every word I just said as well as yesterday. I like to see people I care about happy and I'm not just talking about James."

Mia laughed at the look on Juno's face and told her, "Even though we just met, I do consider you my friend Juno."

Juno sat there stunned. She never really had friends before, was never good at making them. She supposed she might count the men whom she trained with in the N7 program, but they were guys more interested in what she could do as a woman than as a soldier. Not the best friendship material, she thought. There was this one girl, when Juno was younger, but now she believed that was more of a we-are-the-only-girls-here-so-let's-be-friends situation. Looking back on her life she honestly never had any friends.

Ok, there were Tali, Liara, and Jack. And she guessed Samara could be counted as a friend as well, though she was more like an aunt then a friend. Oh and there was Kasumi. And Garrus. If she was going there she might as well count Joker, Thane, Grunt, Mordin, Wrex, and if she thought about it hard enough, Anderson could be considered a friend as well, when he wasn't being her warden.

Alright so she had friends, just none like Mia who was feminine, in that civilian normal way, and into everything Juno declared herself allergic to. Juno wasn't used to normal.

"Uhhh, thanks…I consider you a friend too," Juno hesitantly replied.

Mia giggled, "You don't have to be so thrilled about it Juno."

Blanching, Juno stumbled over an apology, "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm no good at things like this."

Mia shrugged, "It's a good thing I'm stubborn and thick-skinned."

Juno smiled.

"-don't believe Juno and James are really a couple."

The silence in the room following that statement snapped Juno back to the present and the women now staring at her. All were waiting for her reply and none looked more smug than Daniela.

Juno narrowed her eyes.

* * *

"Jimmy."

Concentrating on his task, James replied to his cousin, _"¿Sí?_"

"Incoming."

Looking up in confusion, James gave his cousin a questioning look. When his cousin tilted his chin towards the cabin, James turned around and his entire body tensed at the sight of the woman marching in a beeline towards him.

She wore light purple shorts that stopped half-way up her thighs showing her, now familiar, long, toned legs. Her top was strapless, exposing her shoulders and making James wonder if she wore a bra or not. Her hair was down around her shoulders, the way he now liked it, and it glistened in the sun. A bit more makeup was used this time around; she was once again radiant beyond anything he had ever seen before.

And she was descending on him like a pissed off goddess. _Hermosa._

"What's wrong Lola?" he asked in hopes of pacifying her before she made a scene. That was, until her body crashed into his and his head was yanked down to collide with her lips.

Fire instantly erupted inside him at the contact. The feel of her pressed up against him was just…and she tasted of strawberries, sausage, and something that was just Juno. He wanted more.

He reached up to cup her face in one hand and pull her close with the other, only to have her pull back before he could make contact. What? Why did she stop? _Maldita sea._ What the hell did she want from him?

"Nothing," Juno whispered.

James panicked. Did he say that out loud? _Dios,_ if she didn't want anything to do with him then why was she in his arms after everything they said the previous night? Maybe she got her kicks by teasing men like this. Fuck.

Movement in his peripheral vision brought James's attention to the small group of women that followed Juno outside. Leading the way was his cousin Daniela, disbelief and anger easily defining her mood. It took James a moment to connect the dots but he figured it out.

"Daniela interrogating you again?"

Juno glanced back at the woman in question. "Not exactly."

"Let me take care of this," he mumbled then addressed his infuriating cousin. "Daniela, what's your problem?"

Daniela sniffed, "I don't think she's your actual _novia, primo._ At least I don't think she's in this relationship for the same reasons you are."

James sighed, "What are you talking about Daniela?"

She gave Juno a once over. "She just wants to use you for your money and to say she's with a Lieutenant in the Alliance."

"_Que?"_

He really had no clue where she came up with these things.

"I've seen women like her before. Uses her looks and intelligence to get a low ranking officer. Dates him until he's of no more use then moves on to the next guy, slowly going up the ranks until she finds one high enough to capture permanently. She's already started to use you, having you buy her new clothes. How many soldiers have you been with before James?" The last was directed at Juno.

She pretended to think it over. "Well, there are so many I can't quite put my finger on it but the last one was a Staff Lieutenant, so I would say I acutely went down in rank."

"See, James? She's using you."

James stepped forward. "Daniela back off. Juno isn't using me. I didn't pay for her new clothes. In fact why the hell would she be with me for my officer's wages?" He air quoted 'officer' knowing full well his income wasn't very impressive. "She makes more than me in the Alliance anyways."

The moment he finished his sentence he knew he just blown their cover. Fuck. What the hell did he just do?

"James," Juno hissed while at the same time Daniella continued her accusations. "Oh so you're military property, what are you part of some special branch of the USO? Hired to escort officers of the Alliance around and do a little role-playing?"

That pissed James off. "What the hell are you insinuating Daniella? And where the hell are you coming up with this crap? If you don't watch it-"

"Jimmy!"

Everyone in the small group turned at the sound of _tio_ Emilio's bark.

"Daniella, _vuelve a la cocina_."

"_Pero tio-"_

_ "No pero. Vaya ayuda Abuela."_

Daniela looked at her uncle in disbelief, gave Juno one last once over with no ounce of love, and turned toward the cabin with a huff. The other women who had followed her out dispersed as she walked past them. Most everyone else was smart enough to return to whatever they were doing, leaving the trio alone.

Before James could do anything, Emilio was in his face.

"Jimmy, go take a walk with Juno."

James looked at Juno to catch the flash of emotions she was struggling to cover up. That wasn't like her. She was usually like a statue, only showing what she wanted people to see. When it was just the two of them, she put up no fronts, but in public she outwardly kept her calm. Damn his cousin. This vacation wasn't going as well as he was hoping it would. No, assignment, not vacation. He was on assignment.

Emilio turned to Mia, "Mia, go with Daniella and enlighten her to Juno's occupation and how they met. Juno's a diplomat for the Alliance to the outlying colonies in the Sol System. There isn't much she's allowed to divulge at the moment but she's been working with defensive rights of each colony. James was assigned to a guard detail on one of her trips a few months ago and they hit it off unexpectedly. They've been seeing each other for a few months now." He turned to the couple in question. "Anything contradicting what I just said?"

"No, Sir," James automatically replied. He hadn't told anyone how they met or what she did. They never really thought on it, which they should have.

Juno, on the other hand, had to stop and think about it. She'd been in the kitchen, gossip central, more often than not and couldn't avoid being questioned more than once on their relationship. "Most of it works but I've been telling people we met at a bar one weekend about three months ago."

"Alright so you two met at a bar three months ago and both just happen to work for the Alliance. You," looking at James. "Obviously an officer." He then turned to Juno. "And you as a civilian diplomat. Are we all clear?" The last part directed to all three and all three gave nods of agreement. "Go on Mia."

Mia went to do as instructed, giving Juno an apologetic smile.

As soon as Mia was out of sight, Emilio turned back to James, "You two need to figure out your story and fast. And if you're supposed to be a couple you should start acting like it."

James looked at his _tio_ with confusion. "But you said-"

"I know what I said. I also said you should _act_ like one," Emilio said cutting him off. "Now go do as I said."

James watched his _tio_ walk off and closed his eyes in frustration. "Lola, I'm sorry. I-"

She wasn't there. Glancing around he spotted her making her way towards the lake near an area void of people. After a moment he followed.

"Lola," he said cautiously once he reached her side.

"Don't worry about it James. Your uncle was able to come up with something. I don't think our cover is blown as badly as it could have been."

Not what he was necessarily apologizing for but alright. He tried again. "I wanted to-"

"He's right we should get our story together now before we ruin it." She interrupted him then added after a moment, "We should also actually act like a couple if we want to be believable."

Again, not what he was going for, but still, she had a point.

"Alright, Lola, what did you have in mind?"

She stood there gazing out over the lake. She looked forlorn for a moment and all James wanted to do was hold her to take that look away. He knew Daniella's less than honorable insinuation to Juno's character bothered her but he didn't know how much. _Dios _he hated seeing her like this.

"Juno," he tried once more. This time she faced him, he couldn't miss the shine in her eyes. Reaching up he cupped her face, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "I'm sorry, Lola. I'm sorry about her. She had no right to say those things."

Juno closed her eyes, leaned into his touch, and nodded in acknowledgement. "It's alright, James," she whispered sadly unknowingly making his breath hitch.

She was so beautiful like this. Serene; at peace. The hard edge a life in the Alliance gave her melted away, the relentless soldier he admired fading enough to reveal the woman he cared about within.

When her eyes opened they locked with his and in that moment something happened. They coul both feel it, their pulses quickening and senses heightening. The air felt cooler, scents sharper, and the sounds all around them were loud and vibrant but unregistered. Whatever it was pulled them in, bringing them closer together.

His heart was filled with hope that his want for her was reciprocated. She was pressed against him, her fingers entwined with the chain of his tags once again, and holding on to him like she would fall if he let go. He wanted this, with her, he really did. This feeling of being wanted. Somewhere in the back of his mind he watched his bachelorhood fade away as the now familiar sensation of longing for her rushed forward.

She was drowning in the unfamiliar sensations coursing through her as his hand clutched her back and heated body tensed beneath her shallow caresses. She wanted…she didn't know what but whatever it was, was too much for her to handle. No one had ever made her feel like this but now, with James, she was…scared? She had to stop now.

"James."

Groaning internally he rested his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. She was stopping them again. _Joder._

He still wanted her, damn it. That denial last night didn't change his feelings towards her and having her in his arms and that intense moment they just shared didn't help. How was he going to deal with this? He was fast falling in a direction he shouldn't be and there was nothing he could or wanted to do to stop it. Maybe when he got back he could request that the admiral reassign him someplace else. Someplace away from the woman in his arms where he could get his head straight and think. Until then he was stuck with his torment.

But who said he couldn't take in every moment while they were here? They were supposed to be a couple, right? Why not actually act like one for the next two days and take advantage wherever he could? If he was going to be transferred when they got back why not pretend this relationship was real and kiss her whenever he wanted to? Laugh with her, hold her, and be near her whenever the mood struck? Maybe he could even get her to be more than just a pretend girlfriend. Maybe.

At least asking her was worth a shot. What was the worst that could happen besides having his heart crushed some more?

"Lola," he began softly. When she pulled back to look up at him he continued. "What did you have in mind? At least around _mi familia_. Alone we don't have to be more than friends if you don't want." He shrugged trying to look impassive.

She took a moment to think. They needed to act their lie out in front of the family. The success of the mission depended on it and she would do what she needed to succeed. She was going to flirt with him, kiss him. Just be with him how an actual girlfriend would. That's all she had to do. It was simple. And at the end of everything, she would not regret her decision. Even if she got hurt in the process.


End file.
